Reyvateil Ranma Book 1, The Meeting of Worlds
by Kithrin
Summary: What would happen if his cursed form was not a simple girl curse, but something more potent? This is a Ranma 1/2 Ar Tonelico crossover plus a dash of Persona 3.
1. Not the Usual Curse

Reyvateil Ranma

Chapter One: Not the Usual Curse

_Authors Note: I haven't found a beta reader yet, so this was edited by me. If you think this is worth it, and want the job contact me. Constructive criticism is welcome. This is also up on I used a different pen name there. I will post a comment about Reyvateils for those that have not played the games._

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.**

* * *

A few minutes before, Ranma and Genma had arrived at Jusenkyo.

"This place isn't so bad," Ranma remarked, while he scanned the training grounds, taking note of the poles sticking up from the springs.

"Sirs, you are strange ones. No one comes here, because there are more than one hundred springs here. Each spring has their own tragic story," the guide declared in broken Japanese.

The two ignored the guide, and each jumped onto a pole.

"Hey, sirs, don't go there, I haven't finished my story." the guide said in a panicky voice.

Ranma and Genma had several midair bouts before Ranma landed a hit. This sent Genma into the spring of drowned panda.

* * *

In another universe…

In the tower of Ar Tonelico, Lyner and Shurelia were conducting an experiment. Their purpose was to reverse engineer the Hymn Crystal Purger, so they could create a copy to use if the first one was ever lost or destroyed. They couldn't just copy it because the technology that had created it originally had been lost over a thousand years ago.

"Ready Lyner?" Shurelia asked from her position, near a statue of a singing woman standing near a man with a sword.

Looking at the Hymn Crystal doubtfully, Lyner tried to confirm: "are you sure about installing the copy in you, Shurelia? You know--we're not even certain we have this made right."

"Just do it."

"If your sure," Lyner said, as he started the installation of the Hymn Crystal. Everything seemed to be going well until Shurelia screamed in pain and fainted. Lyner aborted the installation immediately, and rushed to her side. Frantic he called her name and shook her, hoping to revive her, then he gathered her into his arms and fled to the Inn. He then left her in a room to rest so he could fetch a doctor. Unnoticed by the anguished Lyner; a small sliver of Shurelia's essence, was lost in the experiment.

* * *

Back in the Ranmaverse...

"Growf," growled the panda as it sprang out of the pool and landed on a pole.

"What the hell is that?" Ranma demanded to the guide.

"That, Sir, is The Spring of Drowned Panda, very tragic story of panda that fall in spring and drowned two thousand years ago. Now whoever falls in spring takes the body of panda."

Ranma's attention to the guide proved to be his undoing as his father decked him into a spring.

The spring Ranma fell into should have been The Spring of Drowned Girl. However, in the instant before Ranma fell in the spring the missing sliver of Shurelia's essence contaminated the pool.

If things had gone without Lyner's and Shurelia's mishap he would have become a short busty redhead faster but weaker, instead he became a Reyvateil Origin, as the sliver of Shurelia's essence merged with his essence.

"Young sir fall into the Spring of Drowned Girl, very tragic tale of young girl who drown one thousand five hundred years ago."

Ranma looked at his chest and after he steadied his nerves he opened his Gi and sees two small girlish mounds. After he climbed out he looked at his reflection in the spring. Instead of seeing a young man's face with black hair done in a pigtail he saw a young girl's face. He took a good look at the body he now possessed, he estimated the age to be fourteen or fifteen years old. His formally black hair looked silver. As his observations sink in, he goes into silent shock. He recovered a few seconds later, and his scream of denial echoed through the training ground. The distraction of the scream proved sufficient, so that no one noticed the spring undergo some subtle changes.

"That's odd, most customers who fall in that spring have a better body than that, oh well," the guide remarked then he looked closer. "Another oddity, customer, you look younger, this pool is not supposed to effect age," he waited until Ranma calmed down then he continued his explanation, "Hot water will change you back--that is until you hit cold water again." The guide decided to heat up a kettle for a demonstration. Then he doused the two with the hot water. "See now you both human and male."

On the way to the Chinese Amazon Village… they got hit by rain.

"Geeze, Pop, want to try sparring like this? We need to get used to these bodies," Ranma asked as she suddenly staggered under her pack.

"Fine but do you really think you can win as a girl?" Genma put up on a sign after he dropped his pack. He went into his fighting stance and put up another sign with a clipped, "Ready, Boy?"

"Sure thing, Pops," the silver haired girl boasted confidently.

Genma dashed forward, and Ranma immediately realized that she couldn't keep up.

"Wait!" Ranma shouted right before the Panda knocked Ranma into a tree, knocking her out cold.

* * *

A few hours later Ranma regained consciousness, her head throbbed with a pounding headache.

"Ow, it feels like a truck hit me."

"What's the matter with you boy?" Genma complained, "That shouldn't have knocked you out so quickly, or for so long."

"I don't know I can't seem to move as fast in this form, or take a hit as well," Ranma admitted as she got up and tried to lift her pack only to find out she could barely lift it. "*What. The. Hell*? I have almost no strength!"

"That's it boy you need to work on that form's endurance--put that pack on we will jog to start."

Ranma made it a quarter mile, until she collapsed under the weight of her exhaustion and her pack. "I can't go on"

"Boy, why have you stopped? You only went a quarter mile."

"I can't help it. This body has no endurance, " she replied panting, "it took everything I had to get this far."

Genma looked at the silver haired girl and sighed in resignation. "Fine until your endurance and strength allows you to keep up with me, I'll carry the packs. Try to keep up." He mumble while walking away, "What else can you expect from a weak girl?"

* * *

Next episode of Reyvateil Ranma: Some Things are Inevitable...

We meet the Amazons


	2. Some things are Inevitable

Reyvateil Ranma

Chapter 2: Some things are inevitable…

* * *

Three figures, a girl, a panda, and a fat man in a green outfit, approached the Village of Amazon Women. The two Amazons at the gate recognized the guide immediately; they were puzzled however at the panda with the signs and the young girl, holding what looked like a conversation.

"I'm soo hungry and tired," complained a young looking, silver haired girl.

'Shut up boy. At least you aren't carrying two packs.'

"Yah, but your cursed form isn't a pathetically weak one like mine. I'm exhausted after walking for only a few hours."

"Look sirs, this is rustic village of Amazon Women."

As they entered the village their eyes locked onto one thing…

"**Food**!" Ranma exclaimed, as she ran as fast as she could to get there.

'Not without me you don't,' Genma's the sign said as he dashed to the heavily laden table and started eating.

They ate as fast as possible, without any consideration for neatness, while watching a match that was going on between a truly ugly woman and a cute girl with purple hair.

The ugly one dashed in for a strike and the cute one capitalized on an opening in the ugly ones guard, sending her flying backwards off the log.

"Man that girl has got some serious power," Ranma stated with respect, while she watched the winner of the match go through some sort of ceremony.

Suddenly a bonbori hit the table, shattering the table, and sending wood chips and food flying.

Shampoo demanded an explanation, via the Guide's translation: "why you eat my prize?"

"What prize?" Ranma responded in genuine confusion.

"This is a tournament that only happens once a year. You steal my prize after I have finally become champion."

'Go get her boy if you beat her she has no argument about us eating the food,' Genma put on a sign as he shoved Ranma toward the challenge log.

"Pop you know as well as I do, that I can't win in this form. I have no strength, no speed, and no endurance."

'You sound like a girl, go up there and kick her ass,' Genma responded, and then he threw Ranma onto the log.

The fight started, and Ranma was knocked on her ass quickly. Shampoo decided to move in for the kill, but suddenly, Ranma, due to the stress of being in a dangerous situation without a way to fight back, found her Reyvateil nature coming to the fore. She sensed a powerful and prevalent energy field. Instinctively she drew it in and formed it into song magic. A 'thunder' green magic shot out from Ranma, shocking everybody. The ball of yellow lightning flew at Shampoo, who quickly snapped out of her shock, and jumped over it. Unfortunately for Shampoo, the lightning hit a support that held one of the ropes for the battle log, destroying it in a shower of wood splinters. This changed the position of the log enough that Shampoo didn't land where she expected to, causing her to twist her ankle and fall off the log.

'That's my boy.'

"What the HELL did I just do?" Ranma said in shock, as she stared at her hands.

As she climbed down the log slowly, she noticed that she could still sense the binary field, and thought, _What is this energy? Oh well, a question for another time I guess._

Murmurs went through the crowd, about the thunder ball, as Ranma is getting proclaimed the winner.

"What was that?"

"How is that possible?"

"What kind of chi attack was that?"

"I'm not sure that was a chi attack," Cologne stated thoughtfully. Her thoughts started racing as she considered what she just saw. She came to a conclusion: _I will offer to make her an ally of the tribe if she teaches us that technique. It might not be that powerful, but it did an impressive amount of damage with what little chi i sensed from her. Imagine what it could do with a stronger fighter? We can give her the incentive that it would protect her from retribution.  
_

Her decision made, Cologne approached Ranma, but Shampoo interrupted her plans by giving the kiss of death to Ranma.

"Oh no, young sir you just get kiss of death. Which is oath to track down and **Kill**.**Run, sirs**!"

Ranma is grabbed by both arms by the guide and his father, and she is dragged out of the village.

Angered at her for foiling her plans, Cologne turned to Shampoo and shouted in a public manner, for all to hear: "**You fool! **You just made it so that our tribe wouldn't be able to learn, or learn to counter that lightning technique. A technique like that _might_ have been a great benefit to the tribe. Not to _mention_ this loss is _entirely_ your **own fault**. She _never _hit you. _You_ misjudged your landing."

"No matter loss is loss, and must be avenged," Shampoo declared as she left to pack for her trip.

* * *

Next chapter

Chapter 3: The Tendo's meet a Reyvateil

Things just don't go as planned for the panda.


	3. The Tendos' Meet a Reyvateil

Reyvateil Ranma

Chapter 3: The Tendos' meet a Reyvateil

_AN: __things will start to diverge from cannon now also, Ranma's personality will start to diverge as well, What do you expect when he has some of the essence of a seven hundred year old person in him?

* * *

  
_

"Let me go you old fool!"

"Look a panda… carrying a girl?"

"How horrible."

The panda upon realizing he was causing a commotion, decided to scare the bystanders away. He stopped and growled at them, this caused them to scatter in fright. He then continued on his way still carrying the struggling girl.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Tendo dojo a different confrontation was getting ready to boil.

A man cried while he read a postcard "I can't believe it, After all this time Ranma is coming here," the crying man said through the copious tears. He then raised his voice and shouted, "**Nabiki. Kasumi. Akane.**"

He decided to go look for them, instead of just waiting for them to come to him. He Found Kasumi in the kitchen. "Kasumi."

"Yes father?"

"Meet me in the Dining room, I have an important announcement."

He went upstairs and opened Nabiki's Door. "Nabiki, meet me in the dining room, I have an important announcement."

"Okay."

Several minutes pass in the living room, while the two girls waited for their father. Then Soun came in looking annoyed.

"Where is that girl? I have a important announcement that could affect all of your futures, but she is nowhere to be found. this announcement is best done if everyone is here before I make it."

Getting impatient from curiosity, Nabiki got up, and said, "I'll look for her."

"Thank you Nabiki."

* * *

Meanwhile in the dojo…

Akane had just came in from her morning jog. She proceeded to set up some cinder blocks in a n shape, so that the cinder block at the top had empty air beneath it.

She takes a deep breath, and then... "**heeeya**," She shouts while she brought her fist down on the Block violently, the block shattered sending pieces everywhere.

Nabiki caught one fragment under her foot, while taking a picture. "There you go Akane, that's the reason boys think you are so weird."

"Not everyone thinks the world revolves around **boys**!"

"Anyway, father says he has an Important announcement to make."

"Fine I'll be right there after I clean up."

After Akane cleaned up her mess, she followed her sister to the dining room.

The two sisters sat down around the table, looking at their father expectantly.

"Now that you're all here I have an announcement, my friend is coming, and he is bringing his son. If one of you three will marry him, it will secure the future of our school."

"Wait a minute don't we have any say in who we are going to marry?" Akane demanded angrily.

"Is he cute?" Nabiki asked curiously.

"How old is he?" Kasumi wondered

"Come on what type of guy is he?"

"I don't know… I never met him."

Nabiki glared at her father "You don't know?"

Suddenly they heard a commotion out front.

"Oh it must be Ranma."

"Saotome my friend we have been waiting."

Soun ran toward the front door with Nabiki following.

Kasumi and Akane fallowed slower "I hope he's older than me," Kasumi said softly while walking. They are met by their father and sister, running back toward them in a panic, from a panda carrying a silver haired girl.

"Let me down pop your scaring them spitless," The silver haired girl demanded.

After the panda sets her down Soun said "you wouldn't be…"

"I'm Ranma Saotome sorry bout this."

"Boy he is cute."

Soun grabbed her in a hug, and after a few squeezes realized something was wrong. He pushed her back, and held her at arm length.

He froze as his mind shut down, unable to process what the problem was. while he was frozen, Nabiki noticed something wrong by looking at Ranma's wet shirt, it wasn't much, but she grabbed the silver haired girl's chest, and squeezed to confirm her suspicion.

"Umm could you stop that?" Ranma asked, annoyed.

"Ranma's not a boy she's a girl, and a young flat one at that."

"A young girl?" Soun fainted immediately upon hearing this…

* * *

A few minutes later…

Soun woke up surrounded by his daughters, Ranma, and the panda. The first thing he heard was: "Some fiancé, not only is she a girl, but she only looks to be fourteen or fifteen years old. Didn't you check whether your friend had a boy, or even whether he or she was the proper age for an engagement?"

"My friend _told_ me he had a 16 year old _son_, Nabiki. I had _assumed_, that a son meant a boy."

Nabiki grabbed Ranma's chest again, "Does this look like a boy to you?"

"Please, I wish you'd stop that," grumbled an irritated Ranma.

"You heard her she's a guest," Akane scolded.

"Sorry," Nabiki said teasingly without a trace of regret.

Dismissing her father from her mind, Akane turned toward the silver haired girl, "Hi, I'm Akane want to be friends?"

"Sure," Ranma responds with a smile.

"Let's talk in the Dojo, so we can have some privacy," Akane suggests.

Flinching at the mention of the Dojo she had to think fast and make a decision. _okay, she probably wants to spar. No way, I _can't_ fight like this so I'll just have to decline if she asks. _"Sure lead the way"

"Okay, it's this way," Akane said while getting up.

They walked toward the Dojo together. Upon arriving, Akane turned toward Ranma, with a gleam of anticipation in her eyes that caused Ranma to stifle a groan.

"So you study Kenpo?" Akane asked out of curiosity. Secretly she wished that Ranma would say yes, and that she would agree to spar.

"A little…"

"How about we have a little match then?"

The silver haired girl winced, and shook her head, "Umm no, I don't feel like getting my butt kicked today. There is absolutely no way I could win in this condition."

Akane's look of disappointment was obvious on her face, "Alright, let's sit on the steps to the Dojo and talk a bit instead."

"Okay."

"You said, you studied kenpo, but then why did you say, 'There is absolutely no way I could win?' I would have thought that any martial artist would have at least tried."

Ranma avoids meeting her eyes. "Long story, I'll tell you another time."

They sat in silence for a bit, until Ranma noticed the disappointed look on her face. She decided to try, and cheer her up, "I can't spar right now, but I can show you something cool".

"Cool?"

Ranma grinned, and cast a thunder green magic into the air. "*Thunder*."

"**What the Hell was that**!?" Akane exclaimed in shock, staring at Ranma wide eyed.

"Truthfully? I don't really know; I first did it by accident a few months ago. It's called it Green Magic, and it can't hurt humans. If I were to hit you with that it would just give you a tingling sensation. On the other hand, it rips up both scenery and structures pretty well."

"Green Magic?"

"It's the term that kinda popped into my head, when I tried to tell pop what I did," Ranma explained while she shrugged.

"Wow! Could you teach me to do that?" Akane asked excitedly.

"No, not because I don't want to, but because I don't really know how _I_ do it."

Disappointment showed on her face again. "Oh well I'd probably better show you to your room, **but** if you ever figure out _how_ you do that trick, and how to teach it to others, please instruct me."

"Thanks, and okay, but before we go one question?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you look so happy when you saw I wasn't a boy?"

"Oh that's because a couple weeks ago a guy called Tatewaki Kuno made a stupid speech." Akane confided with a grimace.

* * *

*flashback*

"Whoever wants to date with Akane will have to defeat her in combat. I, Tatewaki Kuno, shall accept no other terms."

*end flashback*

* * *

"So now I have to fight a gang of boys everyday to get to class."

"**That moron!**" A fuming Ranma declared.

"No one ever accused him of having a brain."

"That must suck fighting the same guys every day."

"It does, but now it's time to get you to your room."

Ranma tried getting her backpack up the stairs, only to fall back down the stairs under its weight midway up.

"Ow!"

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Akane, I'm just kinda weak right now."

"Let me get that for you, and I'm starting to see why you said you couldn't win."

"Thanks, and yes my strength is seriously down," Ranma said. Then she grumbled, "So is my speed and endurance."

They get up to the Tendo guest room, and Akane put Ranma's bag inside.

"Mind if I take a bath?" Ranma asked.

"Not at all, I'll get Kasumi to bring you up a towel."

"By the way I like my privacy when I bathe whenever possible."

"Okay, I'll inform my sisters about that."

* * *

Next Episode: Chapter 4: Reflections in the Bath

Ranma thoughtful? Is the world ending?


	4. Reflections in the Bath

Reyvateil Ranma

Chapter 4: Reflections in the Bath

* * *

On the way to the bath Ranma runs into Kasumi, "Oh Ranma I grabbed a towel for you."

"Thanks, you must be Kasumi."

"Why yes, how did you know?"

"Akane told me you would bring me a towel."

"Oh, I see."

"Did she tell you I like my privacy?"

"Yes she did."

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit then."

Ranma walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

After disrobing she looked at her body.

"Sigh. Why'd I get a girls body… not only that but a girls body that's younger than my real body? Not to mention it's weaker than hell and I can't seem to increase its strength, at least it doesn't seem like I can. On the plus side is that lightning technique, but while that is cool it's almost useless for self defense, or in a fight. *Sigh*. At least it's not a busty beauty like guys seem to lust over. That removes some of the worries, and potential problems, I might have had otherwise." She looks at the tattoo located right below the hollow of her collarbone. The tattoo looks like a circle with a diamond in the center. "I still have one question though… **WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THIS TATTOO**?"

She then took a wash pail and filled it with cold water. Then she dumped it over her head. "Brrr cold."

She climbed into the bath changing back into a guy at the same time.

"For some reason ever since the Chinese Amazon Village I feel more comfortable in my girl form than when I first got the curse. It still feels, wrong somehow, like a suit of clothes that doesn't quite fit. Why is that anyway? Hmmm…"

He remained in the bath deep in thought until…

"THAT'S IT! Ever since the Amazon Village I have been sensing some kind of energy field all around me, while I'm in my girl form. When I change back into a guy I don't sense it anymore! Which makes it seem like I'm missing one of my senses." He thought for a bit more. "That is a distinctly uncomfortable feeling."

A while later…

"I guess I've been in here long enough… now do I go out as a guy or a girl? On one hand they will eventually find out about my curse anyway. On the other hand it's more comfortable for me to be a girl in some respects, but not others. Tough choice... Go out as a boy, be partially uncomfortable, and possibly jeopardize my friendship with Akane, or go out as a girl, be uncomfortable for a different reason, and not change the current situation yet. If she finds out now it could ruin our friendship. This is especially true with her current guy problems. On the other hand she might be angry that I kept this from her. Ah hell, I'll go for comfort… both hers and mine."

Since his decision was made he climbed out of the bath and picked up the wash pail. He filled it with water and doused himself.

"There much better, well at least in some respects."

"Now to get dressed," as this is said she subconsciously grabbed the energy field and formed it into clothes. "What the…?" She looks in the mirror to find that she is wearing something like a white leotard, with gloves, all of it made from a seemingly seamless cloth. The cloth seems to be only a bit less tough then Kevlar, but as comfortable as her normal clothes. The arms to it are as tight fitting as the rest of it. There are gold decorations at the shoulders and what looks like gold pipes coming from her back to rest in front of her breasts. She is wearing mid thigh boots with two transparent pieces like giant flower pedals coming out the top. "Okay, what's with this getup? Wait a minute if that field created this does that mean…" She concentrated on dismissing the clothes and they evaporate into the binary field, "cool."

"I really have to name this energy field," As soon as she said that to herself the term 'binary field' popped into her head. "Binary field? Heh, as good a name as any I guess… now to get dressed in my normal clothes."

She gets starts to get dressed but stops.

"Ah what the hell. why don't i just wear my new outfit?" She then tapped into the binary field reforming the clothing she had just dismissed. "This is more comfortable, and pretty cool looking." She then put her clothes in the dirty laundry and walked out of the bathroom.

* * *

Next Episode: Chapter 5 Ranmas New Clothes

How does his/her father take Ranma's new outfit?


	5. Ranma's New Clothes

Reyvateil Ranma

Chapter 5: Ranma's New Clothes

_AN: Thanks for the inspiration Crystalblaze from the Anime Addventure._

* * *

"Hmm, I wonder where pops went," Ranma mumbled to herself while descending the stairs.

As she walked toward the dining room, she passed Akane in the hall.

Akane turned toward Ranma eyes wide. "Ranma what the hell are you wearing?"

Ranma thought a second before answering. _I can't lie worth crap. So I might as well tell the truth. _"I'm not sure it just appeared without warning, in a similar fashion in which i made the lighting. I decided I liked it so I didn't bother to change."

"Okaaay … by the way there is a strange man in the living room with dad."

"Strange man?"

"Yah, he's chubby, has glasses, and a bandanna around his head."

"Oh, I think that's just pops. I probably better get in there."

"Okay. By the way you look cute in that outfit."

Ranma blinks at that comment as Akane walks away.

Ranma sighed and mumbled, " 'Cute?' Time to face the music."

Before he could enter the dining room Akane rushed back.

"WAIT. You said your father? When did he arrive? Why didn't anybody see him come in?"

"The answer to all of that is… it's a long story I'll tell you later 'kay?"

"Okay, but I expect you to keep that promise."

As Akane leaves Ranma continues to walk toward the dining room.

Upon entering the room her father turned toward her and his eyes widened, "BOY WHY ARE YOU STILL A GIRL? AND WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WEARING?"

"Geeze pops, calm down, and don't give yourself a heart attack. I feel more comfortable in some ways like this. These clothes just appeared and since they are comfortable I decided to wear them."

"Mr. Saotome? What did you mean _still_ a girl?" Akane asked from the door.

"Why are you here I thought you were heading upstairs?" Ranma asked surprised.

"I could tell from your expression that you were expecting something unpleasant."

"Oh my."

"I'm kind of curious myself Akane," Nabiki commented.

"Well it's like this a couple of months ago…"

As Ranma starts explaining Genma started to sweat bullets as he realizes that this could hurt his plans…

* * *

Queue explanation sequence describing what happened at Jusenkyo.

* * *

"… And you see that's what happened."

"So why are you staying in your cursed form? Are you doing it just to make fools of us?" Akane Demanded angrily.

"Uhhh no. It's just that ever since a certain point after I got my curse it's become uncomfortable being in my guy form almost as much as I'm uncomfortable as a girl, but for entirely different reasons… it's like there's something missing when I'm a guy."

Nabiki smirked and said "Most people would think that it would be the opposite way around Ranma."

"I'm not talking about body parts…"

"What are you talking about Boy? The only thing you're missing is your common sense and currently your manhood." After saying that he grabbed a teapot off the table and then he doused Ranma with the hot water in it.

A stunned silence permeated the room.

"What?"

"Umm Saotome, your naked."

"You PERVERT."

Ranma flinched upon hearing this because he thought that their friendship was ruined. and when Akane picked up the table he was visibly worried that he was going to be the target… but he was pleasantly surprised when she started pounding Genma with it.

As Akane pounded Genma repeatedly with the dining room table and Ranma covered himself with a blush that was visibly covering most of his body, Kasumi noted, "As he was trying to warn you, things he has in the girl body aren't there as a boy... including those clothes."

Nabiki raised a eyebrow at Kasumi's aplomb as she commented, "Daddy, you really hung around with this guy?", thumbing toward the Mashed Genma her sister was preparing. While Soun stared in shock…

Ranma waffled for a second on what to do about his lack of clothes. He had two choices run to the bathroom or his room for clothes or run to the closer kitchen for cold water. He then made a snap decision. He streaked --literally-- toward the kitchen. Upon getting there he turned on the cold water and splashed himself. She Felt relief as she once again sensed the binary field. She concentrated and reformed her outfit. "Stupid old man… *sigh*. How can I face Akane again?" hearing that the preparation of mashed Genma was still going on she said, "One thing is for sure I'm not leaving until she calms down."

Suddenly it goes quiet. Ranma waits a few more minutes then she goes back to the living room.

Upon returning to the dining room she noticed that the table is back in place, looking a bit battered, but what do you expect? She also noticed two less noteworthy things, a crying Soun and an unconscious Genma.

"So what I miss?"

"Nothing important just Akane finishing up with Genma," Nabiki commented.

"That explains the beat up table, but why is your father crying?"

"We told him that we didn't want this engagement and refused to go through with it."

"YOU WILL GO THROUGH WITH IT!" Soun yelled as he went into his demon head technique. He then dropped out of the demon head and said, "It's a matter of family honor."

"So father your idea of family honor is that the name of one of your three daughters be dragged through the mud? What about our family name?"

Everyone looked at Kasumi in shock before Soun cried out, "What do you mean?"

"Well Ranma obviously feels more comfortable as a girl, so what will everyone say about whichever one of us is chosen to be her fiancée? What will they say about you? Lastly what about _her_ reputation, or is her reputation of no importance to you?"

"All that's unimportant, what is important is that the schools must be joined."

Ranma swallows what pride she had in her girl form and… "*sigh*. Mr. Tendo there is one other problem with this body besides being female…"

"And what is that?"

"It is useless for martial arts I don't have any strength, speed or endurance and even my balance is mostly shot. So how can you unite the schools when the heir to one can't practice or defend the school in one of the heirs forms? A simple splash of water during a dojo challenge with a high level martial artist could get me killed."

".But."

"Face it dad this idea won't work."

"If you need any one to blame, blame pops he took me to train there."

Soun started to cry again. "The schools will never be joined now, ***WAAAHHHHHHH***."

"Now Ranma why didn't you tell us about being a guy?" Akane demanded glaring at Ranma.

"Well Akane at first I didn't get a chance… your father fainted on us. Then it simply didn't come up in conversation. Third you seemed to have a problem with guys so I decided not to risk our friendship. Lastly I've been spending a lot of time as a girl lately anyway…"

Akane sighed and asked, "So are you going to school as a girl?"

"I don't know… I have to think on that one."

* * *

Next Chapter:

Chapter 6: Dream Connection

More arguing about the engagement!

Who are these two new people?


	6. Dream Connection

Reyvateil Ranma

Chapter 6: Dream Connection

* * *

A couple hours of arguing about the engagement later Genma regains consciousness...

"Ow that daughter of yours hits pretty hard Soun," Genma observed. He then looked around for his son, after a few seconds he fixed his eyes on her. While turning red in anger, he screamed, "**Boy why are you a girl again? Change back immediately!**"

"Geeze, pops, no need to shout, I'm standing right here. As I've already told you I feel slightly more comfortable in this form," Ranma responded. Then with a wry smile she continued, "I wouldn't recommend splashing me with hot water considering what happened last time."

Genma grumbled incoherently, while thinking, _I need to make him realize that he's a boy not a girl. I know! I'll threaten him with registering him as a girl if he doesn't turn back, and try to stay a boy_. The plane created, he decided to act on it, "Alright boy if you like being a girl so much that you refuse turn back, I will register you as a girl for school. This of course includes you wearing the uniform, and the proper underwear to go with it. Of course I will change my mind if you turn back into a boy immediately and try your best to stay as one." _There that should do it,_ he thought with a smirk.

Ranma took the ultimatum and thought, _I had to make this decision soon anyway. I'm not happy about him making me dress up as a girl, including the underwear, but this form feels almost as natural to me as my 'real' form, but on the other hand at present thats not saying much. I guess I had better tell pops my decision. Besides it will really yank his chain._ "Alright pops you win," Ranma said with a wry smile. Genma smiled in satisfaction. The smile performed a vanishing act as Ranma continued, "I'll go to school as a girl, and this includes dressing as one. If I have to go I might as well be… comfortable…" Her voice faded with the last word as a thought struck her, /_ever since Jusenkyo I have been thinking better, and more rationally than ever. For instance _not_ fighting with Akane. I was able to tell that I would stand as much chance against her as say, a house of cards in a wind storm. Before Jusenkyo my pride, and ego, would have pushed me to into fighting anyway. Why is this?_ _Also the introspection during the bath was a bit unusual._

She came out of her thoughts, and back to reality and realized that her father had been talking, "… decided which of your three daughters he will be marring?"

Soun winced, and responded, "I have been arguing with the four of them for hours, but they all refuse to accept the engagement."

Ranma leans toward Nabiki, and whispered, "I was lost in thought and missed most of what pops said. Could you fill me in?"

Nabiki smirked, and responded softly "One thousand yen, please"

"Why should I pay you?"

"If you won't pay I won't tell you." Ranma sighed and dug out a battered one thousand yen bill, he then passed it to Nabiki, who accepted it. She then whispered to Ranma, "Thanks, he was ranting about you being a dishonorable son. He then said he will follow through with the threat and register you as a girl, and asked Akane to take you for your new wardrobe tomorrow after school. Genma seemed confident that you would see through your 'delusion' about feeling comfortable as a girl after living as one for a bit. Finally he asked whether we had made a decision about who would be your fiancée."

"Thanks for filling me in."

Genma turned bright red with anger, and was about to explode, when Soun interrupted him, "Let's turn in for the night, and discuss this again after school tomorrow. Perhaps by then your son would decide to do the honorable thing, and choose one of my daughters to marry."

"Fine," Genma replied tightly. Then he turned toward the group as a thought struck him, and he said, "Say Soun? How about we leave it open for the girls to choose too? That way if my son won't choose then they can."

"Sounds good to me."

Later that night…

Ranma laid awake in his futon thinking, _What a day. Tomorrow I start school again; normally I would think it's a waste of time, but in this body I need to out think my opponents. Heh, at least until I can get some hot water._ Ranma yawned. _I guess I should get some sleep._

As Ranma drifted peacefully off to sleep, he started to dream…

* * *

Suddenly light flared, and an unfamiliar location greets Ranma's? eyes. He was seeing what apparently looked like a richly decorated hotel room.

He then hears a vaguely familiar voice as a hand comes over one eye; the oddest thing is, it feels like SHE'S speaking "OW, my head, remind me _not_ to do that again."

A knock is heard at the door. The eyes looked toward the door and the familiar voice called out, "Who is it?"

At this point Ranma realized he is experiencing all of this through another person's body.

"Shurelia? It's me Lyner, are you all right?"

"Come in, and to answer your other question no, I have a splitting headache."

Lyner came in; he is a man about twenty-one years old wearing a suit of white armor with a sword sheathed at his side. His first action upon entering was to take Shurelia into a hug, and apologized. "I'm sorry; we should never have tried that experiment."

"I feel a bit stiff, how long was I unconscious?" Shurelia asked.

"About two months, we were really getting worried about you."

Shurelia frowned upon hearing this, and responded, "No wonder I'm stiff. I had this oddest dream though. "

"An odd dream?"

"Yes an odd dream. I dreamed that I was the son? daughter? I can't really tell which is correct. Anyway I was the child of an idiotic fat man. He forced me to try a human warrior in *physical* combat, against an armed opponent, without even a weapon!"

She is interrupted by Lyner mumbling, "What type of _moron_ sends a Reyvateil into a physical confrontation?"

"I don't know, But to continue, I thought I was going to die and in my panic I dredged up the first spell I could think of, which was the thunder green magic. Fortunately," she smiles wryly before continuing, "It was enough to win by coincidence. The final straw about that moron was that he tried to engage me to some girls." She looks at Lyner with a frown, and finishes "I _don't_ swing that way."

Lyner had a curious expression on his face, and decided to ask something which had been bugging him since the beginning of her telling the dream; "Why couldn't you tell whether you were a boy or a girl?"

"The 'I' in the dream had a curse that turned me into a Reyvateil with cold water, and a human male with hot water. The idiot of a father had one that turned him into a panda with cold water and human with hot. I don't know what the child's original form was."

_weird_, Ranma thought, she seems to be giving him an abbreviated version of my life since Jusenkyo.

Lyner thought on this and responded, "Weird, I'm just glad curses like that don't exist."** Crack-of-Doom** "What was _that_? Anyway I think from your story the person in your dream was originally male.

Shurelia thought for a second, and nodded emphatically, and responded, "I agree."

As Lyner let her out of his hug, his sheathed sword knocked a glass of water off the bedside table, and on to Shurelia. She felt a seemingly familiar tingling sensation, and with a feeling of dread got up, and looked into a mirror that was on the wall. Her eyes widened, and she let lose a scream before she passed out.

* * *

Next chapter:

Chapter 7: The First Reyvateil at Furinkan


	7. The First Reyvateil at Furinkan

Reyvateil Ranma

Chapter 7: The First Reyvateil at Furinkan

_

* * *

  
_

Ranma woke up the next morning, and decided to take her bath early. As she walked toward the bath she met Akane who was coming out of the bathroom.

"Morning Ranma, you're up early."

"Yah, I had an odd dream that woke me up."

Akane cocked her head to the side and asked, "'Odd dream'?"

There were two people there named Lyner and Shurelia, At least I think that's what their names were. Then she started talking to this Lyner guy about one of _her_ dreams. Her dream seemed to have been about my life since Jusenkyo. The only real difference I could see with her description of it is that she said I turned into a Reyvateil with cold water.

"Wait what's a Reyvateil?"

"A song maiden, anyway… _wait a second_! How did I know that?" Ranma exclaimed in shock.

"I don't know but you seemed certain about your answer. Anyway what were you about to say?"

Oh that she seemed to look a lot like my cursed form, not exactly but close. She was wearing the same clothes as well. Anyway at the end she was splashed with cold water. The sensation was similar to what happens when I change. She seemed to panic and looked into a mirror, screamed, and apparently passed out. At least I think she did, because that's when the dream ended."

"Wait a second, why would her passing out cause the dream to end?"

"Oh, that's because it seemed I was experiencing the dream through Shurelia's senses. Anyway I have to go take my bath. See you at breakfast."

"Okay," Akane said, as Ranma went into the bathroom. When she was alone she thought, _what a weird dream, but Reyvateil? Song maiden? That might explain WHY she is so weak, because if she was meant to sing, not fight her physical abilities would be low._

After Ranma took her bath she dressed in her normal Chinese clothes, and went down for breakfast.

Genma glanced at Ranma in irritation, as she took her place at the table. Taking note of what form she was in he grumbled to himself, "Dishonorable boy, going to school as a girl. He should just pick one of the girls to marry, and live his life as his real sex." He then spoke in a normal tone of voice, "How long are you going to play this game boy? Just pick a girl to marry. If you don't, we will let the girls decide who you will marry."

"Heh, they won't choose me either. While you were unconscious they all pretty much already said no, As to being a girl now you are the one who said I had to go as a girl if I didn't change right back." As she ignored her stuttering father, she turned toward Akane with a grimace and asked, "I need to get some clothes for school could you show me where to shop?"

"Okay, but I have a question. You formed that outfit you had on yesterday from nothing right?"

"Umm, not quite, but I suppose that's close enough."

"Then why can't you form the school uniform the same way?"

Ranma winced as she replied, "That's because I don't really know how I formed that outfit the first time, it just appeared. After it appeared the first time, I figured out how to form it whenever I wanted. Since I don't have what I need yet, I'll just go like this."

Akane, looked at the clock, and said, "It's time to go I'll show you the way Ranma. They met Kasumi at the door.

"Here are your lunches Akane and Ranma, and have a good day at school."

"Thanks Kasumi," Ranma says while going out the door.

Akane grabbed Ranma's arm as soon as they are out the door, and started to run to school.

"Akane, slow down! You're going to pull my arm off."

"But if we don't hurry we'll be late."

"I can't run that fast or long, so if you keep running while holding my arm like that you'll end up literally dragging me to school. Why are we rushing anyway? We have a good ten to twenty minutes to get there," Ranma gasps out. Meanwhile she thought: _geeze this body's weak I'm out of breath from three minutes of running. On the other hand I seem to have improved ever so slightly. I went a bit further and faster than I could before._

"Did you forget? I have to fight off a mob of boys due to Kuno's speech?" Akane explained in an exasperated voice.

"Oh, sorry. How about you give me the directions and ill catch up at my own pace?" Ranma Suggested.

"Okay," Akane said. She then gave Ranma the directions to the school, and left after saying: "See you at school."

Five minutes later: Ranma arrived at school in time to see Akane finish off the last of the morning mob.

"Honestly, I wish that they would get a clue," Akane complained, while wiping sweat from her brow.

Just then a boy, dressed in blue, stepped out from behind a tree. He then threw a rose at Akane.

"Kuno," Akane growled venomously.

"Akane, I Tatewaki Kuno the blue thunder of Furinkan High will defeat you, and then date with you…" as he said this he got into is ready stance, when suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere a ball of yellow electricity flew at the tree, blasting the point at which it met the tree into splinters, and promptly dropping the branch on Kuno's head.

Akane blinked, turned to Ranma, and said, "I could've handled him, and I thought you said that skill couldn't hurt anybody."

"You probably _could've_ handled him, but I figured you shouldn't have to, and I didn't lie that _ability_ can't hurt anyone," Ranma explained. She adopted a wry smile and continued, "But that branch sure can. Anyway we should get to class."

"Uh… right"

Ranma bent down by Kuno's head for a few seconds, before heading to class.

In the windows there were questions going through most of the people's minds: What was that? And who did it? These were the most prominent questions.

On the other hand asked Nabiki herself some different questions _how did Ranma do that? And how can I make money off of this? Finally if I _can _make money off of this; can I do so _without_ getting blasted?

* * *

_Lunchtime…

* * *

Kuno staggered into his classroom, with a severe headache. Everybody turned toward him as he entered, and suddenly the entire class burst into laughter.

"How dare you laugh at my glorious self!" Kuno demanded angrily.

"Kuno baby have you seen your face?" Nabiki asked while handing him a Compaq.

Kuno looked into the mirror of the Compaq only to see the word 'pervert' written on his forehead.

"Nabiki, tell me who did this!" Kuno demanded angrily, and upon seeing her hold out her hand Kuno hands over a one thousand yen bill.

"Truthfully? I don't know who wrote that on your forehead."

"grrr… fine. Tell me what is happening to my fair Akane then," Kuno demanded, stuffing another bill into her hand.

After some consideration she decides to mention the engagement, "Well Kuno baby that I _can_ tell you about. Apparently my father and his friend made a pact to marry their kids to merge their martial arts styles, and his friend's child gets to choose which one, we are all fighting it but…"

Kuno interrupts her, "I have to tell this person not to choose Akane, since she is obviously the best of the three." He then dashed out of the room… only to return a moment later looking slightly sheepish.

Nabiki smirked, and asked, "Forgot something Kuno?"

"Nabiki, who is it and what classroom is he in?"

"Five thousand yen."

"Fine," Kuno responds while handing her the bill.

"Ranma Saotome, and she's in the same class as Akane."

With that Kuno dashed off again.

* * *

Meanwhile Ranma was having other problems. She was sitting at her desk. That wasn't the problem though. The problem was that she had multiple guys around her, and _all_ of them are trying to go out with her.

Random guy #1, "Hey cutie want to go to the movies?"

Random guy #2, "Ignore that loser and go out with me."

Ranma's eyebrow started to twitch, and she let out a sigh. She took a deep breath and was about to scream in frustration, when the door to the classroom slammed open. This revealed Kuno at the door; this turned her scream into laughter, in which she was joined by the rest of the class.

"Why are you laughing at my glorious self?"

"Your. Face." Akane said while laughing.

Kuno realized he forgot to clean his face, and rushed out the door. A few minutes later he returned with a clean face, and said "I need to talk to a Ranma Saotome."

Ranma sighed, and responded, "What do _you_ want Kuno?"

Kuno's brain is quite inadequate for processing reality, but even his brain found something wrong with this picture. He tried to comprehend the problem, but his brain shut down when he tried. When it restarted he attempted to figure out what was wrong again with the same results. It took him three tries, and about ten minutes, before he was able to come to a conclusion. He then decided to state his conclusion proving that he really wasn't the sharpest tack in the bunch, "You're a girl."

She twitched at that but to keep the appearance of being normal, she merely responded, "So?"

"Then how is it that your father wishes to engage you to a Tendo?"

Ranma sighed, and responded, "Long story, and I'm not talking about it."

"Then my silver haired beauty, I would date with you."

"Ranma Screamed in frustration, "**That's IT would you all get a clue? I. AM. NOT. INTERESTED. IN. GUYS!**"

"Nonsense my love, come into my arms."

Suddenly Ranma started to speak in an odd language that nobody, but her, could understand, "I am very angry, destroy him." As she said that a few times she began tapping into the binary field and created a song magic. Everybody was startled as she began to sing.

----First Verse----

Everybody was entranced by her voice, and so nobody noticed the white ball of crackling energy that had appeared above her head.

----Second Verse----

Ranma's clothes change into her white outfit as the ball of energy grew larger, and started to damage the ceiling. At this development some of the other students start to get a bit nervous.

----Third Verse----

The ball of energy grew even larger, and punched an even greater hole in the ceiling, so large as to actually put a hole in the roof of the building.

Kuno oblivious to the danger said, "No need to sing for our love come into my arms."

Most students run behind Ranma correctly assuming that that was the safest place to be.

----Final Verse----

The ball of energy grew to massive proportions, its radius measured at least eight feet.

As Kuno approaches Ranma she released the song magic with a cry of, "**Primal Word!**" After sending the magic off she collapsed and her clothes reverted to her normal clothes.

The spell slammed into Kuno sending him and the spell into through the wall and through the next several rooms upon which it detonated destroying around forty to sixty percent of the school.

Everybody looked at the unconscious form of Ranma in fear; well there were a couple of exceptions. The first exception was Akane who was both glad Kuno got what he deserved, and because she knew that Ranma wouldn't hit her with it.

On the other hand the music club wondered whether she would join up with them, due to her great singing voice.

Suddenly a scorched, battered, and bruised figure pulled itself up from the rubble. "That did not hurt." Upon saying this he collapsed unconscious.

* * *

Next Chapter.

Chapter 8: There Here **Already**?

Who are these two figures?


	8. They're Here Already?

Chapter 8: There Here **Already**?

* * *

_AN: I am assuming anything not explicitly forbidden is fair game, as well as twisting some of the world rules._

_AN2: I need some opinions. Considering how he got the piece of Shurelia, should I give Ranma the hymn Purger? If so what effect should it have on Jusenkyo curses?_

_

* * *

  
_

Outside Furinkan High School a pretty girl with purple hair and an old dwarf-like old woman on a staff where walking.

"Great-grandmother why are you following Shampoo? Shampoo can take care of the kiss of death by Shampoo's self," Shampoo asked crossly.

The old hag sighed and replied, "Because child, the elder council wants to make an offer to the girl. If she accepts the offer, it would negate your kiss without tarnishing your honor."

"Offer?"

They stopped outside the gates of Furinkan, so Cologne could explain, "yes an offer, actually several in case she decides not to accept. The first offer will be in exchange for negating the kiss of death she will teach us how to do the technique thet destroyed the support for the challenge log. Failing that we could make her an ally of the tribe so we could call on her when we need to. We have a few other backup scenarios if those two fail."

"Great-grandmother, what if she refuses to cooperate?"

Cologne sighed, and replied, "I'll decide then, and no I will not let you just kill her, except as a last resort. This is because people with powerful techniques like that often have powerful allies. We could lose _many_ people if we act recklessly."

Suddenly an explosion rang out from the school, and a good section of the school was blown sky high. Debris from the school rained down on the area. Cologne dodged or deflected the debris, but Shampoo was hit on the head by a section of the roof, and was promptly knocked out.

"**Shampoo**!" Cologne cried out in shock

A girl with long blue black hair ran out of what remained of the school carrying a silver haired girl. Cologne stopped her, and asked, "Do you know where a healer is? My great-granddaughter was knocked out by debris from that explosion." Meanwhile she thought, _that girl in her arms looks like the one we were looking for. Was she knocked out in that explosion? What caused that explosion anyway?_

Akane looked puzzled at the healer question, but replied, "I'm taking Ranma to the clinic now you can follow if you want."

Cologne picked up Shampoo, and they both rushed toward Dr. Tofu's clinic.

Akane called out as soon as she arrived, "Dr. Tofu, are you there?"

"Akane what is it?" He replied as he came into the reception area. Upon seeing the two unconscious girls he asked, "What happened?"

"Ranma just collapsed after blowing up half the school, and that girl was hit by some of the debris from the school," Akane explained.

Dr. Tofu was about to speak when he was cut off by Cologne, "That little girl did **that!**? How?"

Tofu interrupted Cologne by saying, "Let me treat these two while you two talk." He then picked up Ranma and brought her to the back room. A few minutes later he returned and carried Shampoo back as well.

"Now how did that little girl do that much damage?" Cologne asked again.

"I'm not sure she said something in an odd musical language. I couldn't understand it so it couldn't have been English or Japanese. During this time I could feel her anger at those perverts. She started to sing in the same language and while she sang a ball of energy appeared over her head and grew larger three times. Finally she screamed 'Primal Word' and it went flying at a jerk named Kuno, hit him, blasted him through a few walls and finally it exploded taking out half the school with it. She collapsed shortly afterwords.

"That sounds like magic, just not a type I have heard of," Cologne commented.

"Now that you mention it Ranma made a ball of thunder that she said was a type of green magic."

Cologne looked thoughtful at this, as she said to herself, "I will have to check this but it might solve a problem."

"Problem?" Akane asked.

"I'm not allowed to say right now."

"Okay."

* * *

"Shurelia are you ok?" a concerned voice said.

"I think so Lyner, but I had two odd dreams."

_This dream again? _Ranma thought.

"Two?" Lyner asked

"Yes, one was the dream I told you about before. Oh, wait I did that in the second odd dream. In that dream I turned into a guy." she looked at the expression at on Lyner's face and asked, "What is it Lyner?"

"Umm Shurelia? That second dream wasn't a dream."

Shurelia stiffened as she now noticed her voice was deeper than normal. She slumped as she realized what this meant. "Noooo," she moaned softly. She brightened slightly as she remembered something from her dreams. "Could you get me some hot water Lyner?"

"Hot water? Why?" Lyner asked confused.

"I think I may have acquired a curse like the one in the dream I told you about, but I need hot water to test that theory." Shurelia explained.

"I'll be right back Shurelia" Lyner said as he left the room.

Shurelia looked at his new body in the mirror while waiting for Lyner. While examining it she thought, _hmmm, muscular with black hair in my hair style. That's odd it looks a lot like that guy from my dream. My outfit has changed too; it looks more like Lyner's armor than what I was wearing._

Lyner came back with a cup of hot water, "Here you are Shurelia."

Shurelia took the water and dumped it over herself while looking in the mirror. She changed back to her normal self, and her clothes changed as well. _Odd, _she thought, _it's the opposite situation but other than that it's just like in my recent dreams._ Shurelia turned toward Lyner and said, "thank you, but it's odd that I obtained the same sort of curse that the guy in my dream has."

Lyner thought for a second then replied, "Shurelia those might not be just dreams."

"huh?" Shurelia asked.

_Huh?_ Thought Ranma.

"Tell me Shurelia how many months passed in your original dream?"

"Around two, why?"

"That's what I thought, because that around how long it took you to regain consciousness. I think you really _are_ seeing images from somebody else's life. Perhaps some sort of bond was established between you two due to that failed experiment and/or this Ranma's curse."

"interesting theory, but how would we test it? It explains nicely how I have the opposite curse of Ranma, and why he becomes a Reyvateil when the guide said it was just the spring of drowned girl."

_It would also explain where all this knowledge I'm acquiring is coming from,_ Ranma thought.

"I have an idea of how to test it. I could dive into you; I think that a mind to mind connection should be detectable in your Cosmosphere. While you don't have the same type of Cosmosphere as beta class and third generation Reyvateils have, it should still show the connection." Lyner suggested.

_Dive?_ Thought Ranma.

"Hmm, you could be right, and if there is nothing there we could start another game," Shurelia said with a smile.

_Game?_

Lyner smiled at that and replied, "True, shall we head to the dive shop then?"

"Okay, but Lyner?"

"Yes?"

"If someone _is_ connected to me by my Cosmosphere back off, so you don't invade her Cosmosphere without permission."

Lyner winced at that thought while he replied, "Crap I forgot about that. Don't worry I will. By the way Shurelia?"

"Yes, Lyner?"

"What type of Reyvateil is Ranma?"

"Well, since she just used the red magic Primal Word I would have to say she is a Reyvateil origin."

"_**ORIGIN?!**_" Lyner shouted in shock.

"Yes, but she might be more like a beta or third generation in respect to her Cosmosphere since she wasn't created as one."

"I see. Anyway let's get going," Lyner suggested.

As they left the hotel they ran into a muscular youth wearing a yellow shirt, brown pants, large backpack with an umbrella on top, and a yellow bandana around his head.

"Where the hell am I now?" the youth shouted.

"Platina," Lyner responded in confusion. "And who are you?" he continued.

"Ryoga Hibiki," the youth answered. Then he blinked and asked "Platina? I have never heard of it what country is it in?"

Lyner looked at Ryoga in confusion, and asked, "Country?"

Shurelia explained "A long time ago, before the ground and the first two to four hundred floors of Ar tonelico became uninhabitable. The world was divided into many political units called countries."

Ryoga looked at Shurelia oddly and asked, "The ground is uninhabitable? Then where are we standing right now?"

Lyner raised an eybrow at that question before answering, "About eight hundred or so floors up the tower of Ar tonelico. Where have you been for the past seven hundred or so years?"

"seven hundred years!? Just a couple months ago I was walking in a place called Jusenkyo in China. I've been in the wilderness ever since then." Shurelia's eyes narrowed at the words Jusenkyo and China. Ryoga didn't notice as he continued, "and it was definitely on the ground.

Shurelia was looked a bit pale as she said "Jusenkyo?! China?! That was where the places where my dreams with Ranma started."

"Ranma? Ranma Saotome?" Ryoga exclaimed. At Shurelia's nod, Ryoga grabbed her and shook her while in a demanding voice said, "You've seen him? Where is he? I need to find him and kill him for making me see hell!"

Suddenly a blade appeared next to Ryoga's neck, and Lyner said in a cold voice, "Let her go or else."

Ryoga gulped, and let go. "Sorry about that it's just that I have been chasing him for two years."

"Two years?! Why?" Shurelia asked in surprise.

"It's because that coward ran out on a challenge just because I was four days late, but that irrelevant he should have waited." Ryoga shouted angrily.

Lyner looked at Ryoga with a bemused expression as he responded, "You expected him to wait for four days? How far away from your starting point was the fight supposed to take place?"

Ryoga looked at Lyner like he was being irrational as he responded, "Of course I expected him to wait he knows how bad my sense of direction is, and the fight was supposed to take place in an empty lot five hundred meters behind my house, why?"

"I would say he was right to have left. I personally would've waited only a couple of hours before leaving. You can't honestly expect someone to wait for four days when you started out only five hundred meters away, so **why** are you chasing him?"

"Its because he was a coward and ran, and due to this cowardice I have seen hell!"

Lyner sighed in frustration, and when he was about to yell at the youth he was interrupted by Shurelia, "We have something _important_ to do. If you want to wait until we are done to finish this conversation then follow us. On second thought just follow us I have some more questions I need to ask you later." As she said this she turned and walked toward the dive shop.

Lyner and Ryoga looked at each other and Ryoga said in awe, "Damn, she's forceful for a fourteen year old. "

Lyner was caught between wanting to chuckle and wanting to glare at Ryoga. He settled for glaring at Ryoga and replied, "multiply that by about fifty and you would be right," After he said that followed Shurelia.

It took Ryoga a second to shake off the shock that the last comment created before he could follow.

* * *

Next Chapter:

Chapter 9: The Dive


	9. The Dive

Chapter 9

The dive.

_A.N. I need a suggestion for Ranma's mind guardian._

* * *

As Lyner and Ryoga caught up to Shurelia they saw her talking to a crimson haired girl wearing a black shirt with a silver dragon design stitched into it. The design continues on the black pants. She is also wearing black boots with crimson highlights. Her figure was such that she had quite a few admirers.

"So how's your sister Sierra?" Shurelia asked.

"She's fine, still traveling with Harmonica though," Sierra responded.

"You know he hates that name right?" Shurelia remarked.

"True, but for some reason the name Jack simply does not stick with me." Sierra shrugged and continued, "Must be the fact that she always refers to him as Harm."

Lyner spoke up and asked, "Who is your friend, Shurelia?"

The crimson haired woman turned toward him and responded, "My name is Sierra Lune, and I'm Misha's sister. Who are you?"

"Lyner Barsett."

Sierra's eyes widen as she responded, "Lyner? As in the Lyner that saved the tower from Mir, and rehabilitated her? That Lyner?'

"Err, yes why?" he responded nervously.

"Are you Shurelia's boyfriend? I heard that you dived into her, as well as Misha and Aurica. Are you two timing her? How far did you go in them? Remember don't tell others what went on in there a dive is a dive," Sierra grilled him like a steak.

Lyner backed off from the redheaded Reyvateil as he was getting grilled. He responded by saying, "whoa, back off. Let's see, Yes, yes, and no, and finally why are you so interested in other people's dives?"

"I'm curious; I haven't found anyone I trust enough yet."

"Fine I went to level 9 in Aurica and Misha, and down to level five a few times with Shurelia, but the deepness of the level doesn't really apply to her as to how close we are in her case," Lyner explained.

Sierra's eyes narrowed as she glared at Lyner. "You went all the way down in two or three Reyvateils and you DON'T consider that two timing?" She ground out.

"That's enough! Neither they nor I think that he was two timing us. He made his decision on who he wanted to be with, and stayed with that one. Now we need to do a dive for something important Sierra," Shurelia declared. "Now why don't you keep Ryoga here company, so we can do what we came here for?" She finished while pointing at Ryoga.

Ryoga shocked everyone there with a question, "what's a 'dive'?"

Sierra looked at Ryoga in surprise, "you don't know? I thought that was common knowledge. A dive is where a person goes into a Reyvateil's mind, and helps her create song magic, as well as helping with various psychological traumas.

As Ryoga and Sierra continue their discussion about dives, Lyner and Shurelia went into the dive shop. Upon entering the shop the see two huge pods both over ten feet high, and looking like a giant eggplant. The Dive shop owner looked at them as they entered. He stood about five feet ten inches tall, had a tail, and horns a typical member of the Teru tribe.

"Ah, Lyner and Shurelia, I'm pleased to see you again. I have something for you that you might be interested in," The shopkeeper said upon spotting them. He continued as he led them into the depths of his shop, "It's a new invention, a portable dive machine. Considering how often you two come in, I thought you might be interested." The device looked like two helmets that cover the entire head, connected by cords leading to a box that is about a foot to a side. Lights blink in many places upon the box.

Lyner asked cautiously "Is it tested, Reik? We have already had enough trouble with untested technology. "His voice dropped into a grumble as he added, "especially after the purger incident."

"Oh yes don't worry, it has been extensively tested, it's quite safe." Reik replied.

"How much?" Shurelia asked.

"For my best customers? I have a free set here," Reik replied while smiling.

Lyner thought about how convenient it would be, and was about to answer when Shurelia beat him to it.

"We'll take it, but how much for a second set? I have the feeling we will need it," Shurelia asked.

The shop keeper looked surprised at the question, but responded, "One hundred thousand leaf. Why would you need a second one?"

"If I'm right, I know of someone who might need it since he/she can't get to a dive shop," so saying she paid Reik for the two sets putting one into her storage space, and telling him to deliver the other to the apartment she shares with Lyner. She then said, "We need to check something, could you prep the dive machine for us?"

"Not that I'm complaining, but why don't you use your new portable instead of paying me?" Reik responded puzzled.

"For what we need to check we thought it would be best to have a professional observing," Shurelia explained.

"Oh, I see. Well I'll go get the dive machine ready, and it will be six hundred leaf," Reik said as he walked out of the room to prepare for the dive.

Lyner turned toward Shurelia, and asked, "Why are you so excited about this considering what happened with the purger?"

"Lyner, if this Ranma exists and is 'cursed' to turn into a Reyvateil, he/she will need a few things. The things Ranma will need are an explanation of what Reyvateils are, their powers, and limitations. She will also need access to a dive machine. If I am right Ranma's Reyvateil form is that of an origin, but his/her mind is closer to a beta or a third generation, therefore I am expecting him/her to have a Cosmosphere rather than a direct connection to the binary field like myself. The easiest way to do so would be to talk to him/her in person, and explain everything as well as give him the portable dive machine," Shurelia explained.

"How will you find this Ranma?" Lyner asked with a frown.

"Ryoga seems to be able to travel between here and wherever Ranma is, so we'll just follow him." Shurelia responded.

Lyner looked thoughtful as he considered that option. A frown appeared on his face as he realized a problem. He looked at Shurelia, and replied, "That could work, but how will you keep Ryoga from killing Ranma?"

Shurelia teasingly smiled at Lyner as she answered, "That will be YOUR job, love."

Lyner groaned at that as Reik came back in. He looked confused at Lyner's groan, but shook it off and said, "It's set up if you're ready."

Shurelia climbs in her pod as Lyner pays the man. He then climbs into his own.

From Lyner's point of view it was like flying through a tunnel of light. The 'walls' of the tunnel looked like a series of interlocking symbols in the hymnos language. This continued until he came out in the final level of their last game. He was standing in the middle of a stone circle that looked like a broken down stone hedge. The stone hedge was in the middle of a graveyard complete with creepy sound effects, ghosts, and tombstones.

"Okay, this is the last time we do a horror game," Lyner declared in a creeped out voice.

"Why is that, Lyner?" Shurelia asked as she appeared beside him. She was wearing a white gown with what looked like blood splatters all over it.

Lyner jumped as she suddenly appeared, and replied in a shaky voice, "Please don't do that in this type of setting, but as to my comment it's creepy ending up here when I dive."

"Oh I see, but enough about that. You need to look around to see if there is anything unusual. I'll hold this setting so you can tell if something is wrong. Call me if you find something," Shurelia said as she faded out.

Lyner started searching the graveyard and the nearby town. The town would look out of place in Dracula's Transylvania, not because it was the wrong type of village, but because it looked too creepy. His search continued until he saw a sliver of blackness near a formally brown wall. He approached it, and soon found himself in front of a pitch black hole. He walked around it only to find out it only existed from the front. If he looked at it from the edge or the back it simply did not exist. He walked back to where he could see the whole hole, and called out," Shurelia, I think I found it."

"Oh?" She commented as she faded into existence. Her eyes widened as she laid eyes on the hole. "What the…"

Suddenly a timid voice called out from the hole, "Is someone out there?"

"Sorry to disturb you, but we just found out that your cosmosphere is connected directly to mine. Are you Ranma's mind guardian?" Shurelia asked.

"I'm not sure what you are talking about, but I think so. I woke up here about two months ago," The voice replied.

"We'll leave you alone now, because we don't have permission to enter your cosmosphere," Shurelia said gently.

"Umm, 'kay. I'll stay over here for the same reasons then," The voice replied.

"Lyner we should leave for now so we can get Ryoga to lead us to where he came from," Shurelia said.

"Fine," Lyner replied as he triggered the return function. He repeated his entrance in the opposite direction.

Reik had a surprised expression on his face as the two climbed out of their pods. "Done already? That was a fast one; you normally spend a couple of hours in there."

"Yes it was. We confirmed what we had to." Lyner replied.

"Let's go Lyner we need to pick up Ryoga," Shurelia commanded.

"Wait Shurelia," Lyner said.

"Why?" Shurelia asked.

"After we find out how he got here we should arrest him," Lyner replied.

"Why do you think that Lyner?" The silver haired girl asked.

"He admitted that he was going to kill someone for a stupid reason, so to prevent that we should lock him up. The other reason is that he threatened you for simply mentioning his name. If I hadn't stopped him who knows what he would have done," Lyner explained.

"You have a point about that, but we should ask him about any landmarks he might have seen when he arrived here. Considering that he claimed to have gotten lost for four days trying to get to a place that was less than five hundred meters behind **His Own House** it might be faster to find the land mark." Shurelia said.

Lyner considered that for a few seconds, and replied, "You have a point."

"Then let's go, Lyner," Shurelia said as she started to walk out the door with Lyner following.

As they left the dive shop they came across an odd scene, a fuming Sierra and a confused looking Ryoga who had a faint red handprint on his face.

"Now what happened here?" Shurelia asked in a bemused voice.

"This guy told me his story, and had the _nerve_ to say this Ranma was a coward. If he can't be _bothered _to show up on time the other person isn't obligated to wait more than an hour." Sierra said scathingly.

"But, but, but…" Ryoga said as he tried to formulate a response.

"**Enough!** Ryoga where do you think you arrived at the tower?" Shurelia asked sharply.

"I don't know. I think it was near a statue of two people," Ryoga responded.

Just then two knights ran up to them. One knight said "Lyner! Shurelia! Odd monsters are attacking at the statue of the some maiden! Mir and Ayatane are holding them off, but they need help!"

"Let's go, Lyner," Shurelia asked as she changed into her linkage costume and took off for the statue.

"You two, arrest that man," Lyner ordered before dashing off after Shurelia.

"Wait for me!" Sierra yelled as she took off after both of them.

The knights grabbed Ryoga's arms, and one said, "Alright, you're under arrest."

"Let go of me! I have to kill that coward," Ryoga yelled as he was getting dragged away.

Lyner, Shurelia, and Sierra headed toward the statue at a rapid pace. They found themselves in front of a statue of a knight and a woman. In front of the statue a crack in reality hung inside the crack looked like a black square inside a red square inside a black square repeating endlessly creating an optical illusion of great depth. Black blobs with arms and a blue mask with the number zero on the forehead where fighting some knights in front of the crack. Another blob came through the crack as they watched.

"What the **Hell** are these?" Sierra screamed.

"Dead, Energy Ball," a nude black haired young woman, who looked sixteen or so, said as she loosed a ball of magic at her opponents. The attack looked like Ranma's Primal Word spell except orange instead of white, but just as powerful. After the smoke cleared the number of blobs was larger than before the spell.

"Mir, look out!" a young knight yelled as he tackled her out of the way of a lightning bolt.

"Don't touch me, human," Mir demanded venomously.

"Should I have let you fry?" He asked.

"Fine, I will let it slide this time," she said just as he was blasted by a lightning bolt himself, killing the hapless knight instantly.

Lyner was in front of Shurelia, defending her as she charged up a spell of her own, when he suddenly had a searing pain in his head. He put his hands up to his head. When the paid subsided he noticed he had a card in his hand. He then said one word, "Per-son-a."

The card suddenly burst into blue flames, and he smiled as he crushed the flaming card in his hand. A humanoid figure appeared above his head. It had white hair, red scarf covering its mouth, mechanical limbs with no actual feet, a large harp on its back, what looked like a round speaker on its stomach, and glowing red eyes. A voice suddenly resonated in the minds of those present. "Thou art I, and I am thou. From the sea of thy soul I come. I am Orpheus, Master of Strings." A blast of fire incinerated all the visible blobs after it stopped talking. The figure faded away after the flames died.

"What was _that?_" Mir asked in a shocked voice.

Her only response was a thud as Lyner fell unconscious.

The sole blob that the attack missed, due to it being hidden, assaulted the group. Just before it used its final attack Sierra shouted, "Damn he missed one!" the shadow exploded, and when the dust cleared the four figures were gone.

* * *

Next Chapter,

Chapter 10 – Ranma gets knocked out… again.


	10. Ranma Regains Consciousness

Chapter 10:

Ranma Regains Consciousness and Promptly Loses it Again.

AN: I always thought Ranma was more intelligent than he appears, so imagine what his reasoning abilities would be if he had a catalyst to help him improve.

AN2: I refer to Ranma as whatever sex he/she is at the moment.

AN3: I plan on having Ranma with this kind reasoning ability mainly in his/her cursed form at least for this book. He might be a bit smarter than cannon as a guy but not quite as reasonable.

* * *

"So young lady, what do you know of that girl?" Cologne asked.

"Umm, she's a guy, and my name is Akane," Akane responded.

Cologne raised her eyebrows upon hearing Akane's response, and asked, "Jusenkyo?"

"That's what she said," Akane answered.

"This both simplifies things, and complicates things at the same time," Cologne said thoughtfully.

"It does?" Akane asked.

"Yes, but at least it solves a few problems. You said she can use magic do you think she would be willing to teach?" Cologne asked.

Akane sighed as she responded, "I don't think so, not because she won't, but because she CAN'T"

"Can't? Why not?" Cologne asked curiously.

"Can you teach what you don't understand?" Akane asked seriously.

"WAIT! Are you telling me that she is casting magic without knowing how she is doing it? That's Impossible!" Cologne declared.

"Well the spell she used to blow up the school was more like a song, than what I usually think of as magic."

"A song? Don't you mean a chant?"

"No, she was definitely singing."

"Not entirely implausible, but I have never heard of such a thing."

"Well…" Akane began, but she was cut off by a scream from the room shampoo and Ranma were in.

Both Cologne and Akane ran into the room in time to see Ranma climb out the window.

"Ranma!" Akane called out.

Ranma stuck his head back in, and said, "Sorry 'kane, but I need to get out of here before the psycho Amazon wakes up, and tries to kill me again." She then pulled her head back outside and started running.

***sigh*** "This could be a problem. I came to talk to her, and she is too scared to be in the same room as us," Cologne grumbled.

Akane glared at the old woman, and asked, "And why is she running for her life?"

The old ghoul sighed as she responded, "An old law of our tribe that quite frankly, I dislike. If a female outsider defeats an Amazon, the Amazon must give the 'Kiss of Death' and then track down and kill her. I have been lobbying the council to disband the law, but the most they have done is make a few amendments."

"So Ranma beat her as a girl? I find that unlikely since she has lower than average strength and stamina as a girl."

"Not exactly… she damaged the challenge log, and Shampoo landed wrong. She was a sore loser about the event that she gave Ranma the kiss of death. Since the circumstances of the defeat were highly questionable I received permission to strike a deal with her to neutralize the kiss."

"A deal?"

"That is between us and her," Cologne said.

"Of course, you making a deal is based on the assumption that you can keep her still long enough," Akane commented wryly.

"Do you mind watching over Shampoo while I try and talk to her alone? She might be more willing to talk if Shampoo isn't there," Cologne asked.

"Only if you promise not to harm her," Akane said in a concerned voice.

"I promise that I only want to talk right now."

"Fine I hope that you can find a way for everyone to come out alive."

"Me to child," Cologne said as she pogoed out the door.

* * *

Three blocks down the street an out of breath silver haired 'girl' was leaning against a wall.

"Damn, I never thought that she would chase me all the way to Japan," Ranma panted. "I can't fight her like this; I won last time by luck." Ranma thinks for a second before continuing with, "I wonder who the old ghoul was…" *WHAP* "OW who did that?"

"I did," an old ghoul said.

"Who are you?" Ranma asked angrily.

"I am Cologne Matriarch of the Chinese Amazons."

"Amazons?! Crap!" Ranma yelled as she took off running… or at least tried to, as Cologne tripped her, sending her to the ground with an "Ow."

"Don't worry I'm here to talk, NOT to fight," Cologne explained.

Ranma groaned as she levered herself to her feet, and replied, "Talk about what?"

"Your Amazon situation, it might be possible to get you out of the kiss of death, but first I have a question. Is it true that you don't know how you perform that lightning ball technique?" Cologne asked.

"Yes and no. I know how to use, it but I don't know HOW it works. It's almost an instinctive thing. I decide to use it and it happens," Ranma explained.

"And what about the one that you used to level the school?"

Ranma's face adopted a shocked expression as he responded, "I leveled the school with that?" she shook her head as she continued, "But to answer your question, that spell was slightly different from the lightning spell. The lightning spell was created in a panic with me grasping at straws. The song I used was born of anger and frustration. The words came to me in a language I SHOULDN'T know, but I can understand and speak perfectly."

"What language?" Cologne asked curiously.

A phrase like an echo ran through Ranma's mind, and he said it in hymnos, "Was yea ra chs hymnos yor… En chsee fwal fwal yor… exec drone hymnos PAJA enter EORIA_ANSUL_ARTONELICO."

Cologne blinked at the odd sounding language, which was unlike anything she had ever heard, before responding, "That was the language? What did you say?"

"Yes it is, and the translation of what I said is: You will become a song… And wear two wings… Execute the download of Hymn Purger into Shurelia," Ranma replied.

"I see… anyway while interesting this removes the first option that you had. The second choice is to become an Amazon.

"Sorry, I'm not a murderer."

Cologne winced as she realized the impression that her tribe left with Ranma "why do you call us murderers?" she asked angrily.

"Think about why we are having this conversation. That kiss of death law is considered murder to all but two hundred people out of over six billion worldwide, and what a coincidence, your village numbers around two hundred," Ranma replied evenly.

"Our laws are over three thousand years old," Cologne reflexively snapped.

"Old does not mean right, all it means is old."

Cologne ground her teeth at the fact that the outsider used the very same argument that she had been using on the other elders against her. She sighed, and continued with the conversation, "enough, your third option is to become an ally of the tribe."

"What does that entail? I will NOT help with any of the laws I don't feel are right or legal in Japan."

"Then what use would an alliance be?"

"I don't know I don't know your laws to know if any of them are valid in Japan. By the way do you want to know WHY I consider your tribe to be murderers?" Ranma asked.

"Why is that?" Cologne asked while thinking, _/she will probably spout off nonsense such as killing is wrong and the like./_

"First is the fact that you believe such a law is allowed to happen outside your village. Second newcomers are not told that you have such a unique law, a law that as far as I know doesn't exist anywhere but your village. Lastly that law shows that you don't care about honor or that you weaken your tribe."

"You were administered the kiss inside our village," Cologne reminded her.

"Your laws only state what the Amazons have to do NOT what the victim of the laws has to do.

Cologne was taking mental notes, to use against the other elders, as she continued the conversation, "As to your second point of course we don't tell others. How else will they fight their hardest? And what do you mean by weaken?"

"If a unique law can be so easily activated can result in the death of a person whose only crime was being better than their opponent they should be informed, so they can make the decision to fight or not based off that information.

By weaken I meant that several things. First you send someone to kill a person who already beat said person. That is complete stupidity because the victor might decide to end the life of the threat when she attacks again. Since the Amazon was beat once what is to stop her from getting killed in the rematch? Second the best way to improve is to have a rival of equal or greater strength. A rival drives someone to improve, and when you beat your rival it pushes him/her to improve also. This cycle produces two better fighters than what would originally be possible. By sending someone out to kill or be kill you deny your warriors that opportunity.

The lack of honor in the law is evident because it leaves the method of death up to the Amazon. This means stabbing the person in the back, poison and slitting the person's throat are all legal according to you," Ranma explained.

Cologne got a sly smile on her face as she mentally underlined the part about rivals and honor. She also thought of another law that she doesn't object to. "Say Ranma, is your male form that of a martial artist?" She asked.

Ranma warily answer, "yes, but how did you know I had one?"

"I had a talk with the Akane girl at the clinic and she mentioned Jusenkyo. Now is your original form the one you're in now?"

"No, I was born a guy."

"I'll make a deal with you. If you beat my great granddaughter in a martial arts contest I'll drop the kiss of death," Cologne said with a smile.

The silver haired girl looked at the old woman suspiciously. She then said, "Fine on the condition that you don't try to impose any of your laws on me win OR lose."

"Why would you make that condition?" Cologne asked with a twitch in her eye.

"I think you are trying to ketch me in another law."

"I can't agree to that condition!" Cologne yelled angrily. She then calmed down with a sigh, and spoke in a calm voice, "You leave me no choice." Ranma flinched as she continued, "you are free of the kiss of death." Ranma facefaulted as the old ghoul finished up, "A subsection to the kiss of death law is that if a male is afflicted by the naniichan, he is considered blessed and is immune to the kiss of death, but not to the kiss of marriage."

"Kiss of marriage?" Ranma asked curiously.

"It's what happens when a male outsider defeats an Amazon."

"I'm glad I made that condition then. Now that we have that settled we should get back before your granddaughter tries to kill me again." Ranma said just as a crack appered in reality about a meter above her head. Four slightly scorched figures fell out of the crack, and onto Ranma. This resulted in a flattened and unconscious Reyvateil.

Cologne sighed, pulled out a litter from her hidden weapons pocket, stacked everyone on it, and dragged them back toward the clinic.

Next time

Chapter 11:

Ar tonelico and Ranma ½ meet face to face.


	11. Shurelia Meets Ranma

Reyvateil Ranma

Chapter 11: Shurelia Meets Ranma

"Ow, what hit me?" Mir groaned.

"I don't know, why you had first degree burns, but some of the soreness might be because you were second to the bottom in a dogpile," Dr. Tofu said.

"And why was I on the bottom of a dogpile, _human_?" The black haired woman asked angrily.

Dr. Tofu raised an eyebrow at the human comment, as he replied, "Don't know why, but according to Cologne you all fell out of a crack in the sky. Directly on top of one of my patients I might add, a patient, which had just got out of my clinic. What's with the human comment? You look just as human as I do."

"I'm a reyvateil," Mir declared proudly.

"And what's a reyvateil?" Tofu asked in a perplexed voice.

"Some sort of song maiden," a third voice replied. The voice continued with, "now doc why am I back here with a splitting headache?"

"You just had four people fall on you Ranma," Dr. Tofu replied. "How did you have any idea what a reyvateil was?"

"Obviously because she is one, human," Mir responded derisively.

Ranma glared at Mir, and asked, "What is your problem, Mir? And what do you mean about me being a reyvateil? I've been human all my life!"

Mir looked at Ranma incredulously as she replied, "Impossible, I can tell you are a reyvateil. Someone must have deceived you and convinced you that you are human," she paused as a thought stuck her before she continued, "and how the hell did you know my name?"

Ranma looked at her while struggling to keep a calm face, _damn, she can be scary_, Ranma thought. She then shook off the thought, and answered Mir, "I know your name because lately I have been I've been having dreams in which I been seeing events in a city called Platina from a person named Shurelia's point of view. The most recent one ended just as a blob exploded. As to you calling me a reyvateil…" Ranma stopped and groaned, as he put two and two together. "The curse…"

"Curse?" Mir asked curiously.

"Curse?" the doctor echoed.

"I can demonstrate if you can get me some hot and cold water," Ranma answered in a tired voice.

"Fine," Tofu said, and left the room to get the water.

"What does hot and cold water have to do with your so called curse?" Mir demanded.

At that moment the doctor came back with a glass of water and a tea kettle.

"I'll show you after I explain. In china there is a dangerous training ground called Jusenkyo. There are over one hundred springs there, and whoever falls in one takes the form of whatever drowned in it. I fell into the spring of drowned girl, and ever since then whenever I'm splashed with cold water I turn into a girl, while hot water," Ranma paused and poured the hot water on her head, triggering the change. "Turns me back. Ever since Jusenkyo I have been thinking a bit clearer, and ever since a bit after that I have been sensing an odd energy field that makes it uncomfortable to be a guy. It feels almost like one of my senses is missing. On the other hand being in my girl form feels uncomfortable for another reason; it feels almost as if my body is the wrong size for me." She finished up by pouring half of the cold water on his head changing back to his girl form.

Dr. Tofu quickly recovered as he remembered reading about the training ground in one of his books.

On the other hand Mir's shocked expression was priceless… It also lasted long enough so that Dr. Tofu could grab a nearby Polaroid camera to take her picture, for revenge for the derisive human cracks. As she recovered she commented, "Looks like they should rename the spring; the spring of drowned reyvateil."

"That might be true. You should drop the superior attitude though. The number of reyvateils on Earth, if my dream was real, including my cursed form, verses the number of humans is four verses over six billion, so insulting people for being human is NOT a good Idea," Ranma said.

"As interesting as this conversation is, I have other patients to see to," Tofu said.

"When the people who came with me wake up can you send them in? We need to discuss what we are going to do next," Mir asked keeping her tone civil.

"No problem," he said as he walked out the door.

Mir looked at Ranma, and thought, _I believe I can trust this human to not repeat what was done to me./_she paused in her thought to create a small smile, _after all turning reyvateils into slaves is not a good idea when you turn into one._ she then grimaced as she moved her elbow. The movement of the elbow caused pain to shoot through her entire arm. She stood up; ignoring the pain the action coursed in her body and started singing, the song started with: "Was zash ga y.y. mean."

Ranma blinked as she saw what looked like a miniature nurse with a white eye patch appear, with a giant Band-Aid that she seemed to use as a surf board. As the song continued the nurse sent two giant Band-Aids at both Mir and Ranma. As the Band-Aids impacted them they disappeared in a twinkling light. Ranma could feel the pain lifting from her. Two more sets of Band-Aids hit both of them before Mir stopped singing, dissipating the nurse. Ranma looked at Mir and asked, "What was that? I understood what you said, but I don't understand what was with the small nurse."

"That was blue magic; it is used for support such as healing, and/or raising your allies' abilities. What, do you mean, to say that you don't have any? All reyvateils have an instinctive usage of basic red and blue song magic. Also just for verification purposes what was the first line?" Mir answered.

"The first line was; 'I'm in great pain and wish it to stop, heal us.' As for not knowing blue song magic, it's possible that, because I gained this form through a curse, I simply don't have one yet." Ranma replied. Ranma, now free from her pain now took in what Mir was wearing ever since she stood up… or more specifically, what she was NOT wearing which was a FAR longer list. "Gah, put some clothes on!"

The naked woman was about to respond when the door opened, and in walked Sierra, Lyner, and Shurelia.

"Shurelia?!" Ranma yelped

"Ranma?!" Shurelia shouted at the same time.

Ranma looked at Shurelia closely, then grabbed the half full cup of cold water and splashed her with it.

"Was that _really_ necessary?" the now male Shurelia asked blandly.

"Sorry, here's some hot water," Ranma said while handing him the kettle. Ranma continued with, "so, it wasn't a dream?"

"I guess not," Shurelia responded.

"What is going on here?" Mir asked in confusion.

"Before I answer, CAN YOU PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!" Ranma shouted.

"Okay, fine." Mir responded. She then concentrated for a few seconds, and caused clothes to appear. She ended up wearing a red leotard like top with thick shoulder pads that had two rectangular protrusions coming from the top, bracers on her arms a bikini like bottom, and a pair of thigh high boots with thicker portions above the angles to which a protrusion that looked like a bolt came out. The entire suit was black with red highlights. Red bands appeared in her black hair sectioning it off into one inch segments. The chest part of the leotard top was cut off to show her small chest above and below a one inch band that ran over the center. "Now that I'm dressed, what is this about?"

Shurelia started with, "as you know we were trying to install a duplicate the hymn crystal purger into me. During the process something went wrong making me fall unconscious for three months. During that time I had dreams of a boy named Ranma who turned into a reyvateil with cold water, and back with hot, when I woke up I turned into a male human with cold water, and back with hot," explained. She poured the kettle of hot water over herself, changing back to normal.

"Interesting and Ranma started to dream about you a few days ago," Mir commented, and received a nod from Ranma.

Lyner who was listing to the exchange in silence noticed a look in Mir's eyes that he never expected to see; a look that said that she was clearly interested in the one she was looking at, a look that was clearly directed at Ranma. He turned toward Sierra to comment only to see a similar expression; this caused him to quietly groan. This distracted Sierra, causing her to miss her chance, as Mir asked with the subtlety of a bar of titanium to the head, "So, do you have a girlfriend Ranma?"

Three of the four other people present. Who, not uncoincidentally, were the three of the four to know Mir best either personally or by reputation, had a face meet floor experience.

Ranma, oblivious to the reason behind the facefault, and the stares that accompanied them as the people on the floor got up replied, "No, I don't have one. My father was trying to arrange a fiancée, but everyone involved in that fiasco is trying to defuse the situation. The one they will push for can be kinda nice, but quite frankly her temper scares me. By the way Shurelia, how do you change your clothes when you change? I lose what I make."

"Could be any number of reasons, from experience to the fact I'm a natural reyvateil, not one that was made via a curse," Shurelia replied.

Ranma sighed, and said, "Crap and I was hoping that I could learn to keep the clothing I make."

Mir looked at Ranma with a speculative expression, and asked with a curious mixture of shyness and aggression, "Umm, would you like to go on a date Ranma?"

The room went silent except for the thumps of three more facefaults, so silent that the two not on the floor jumped a bit when a pin fell in the next room.

Ranma looked about, unnerved by both the silence, and how everyone's face keeps hitting the floor by these normal questions, but shook it off, and replied, "I guess, but why are you interested in someone with a curse like mine? You're definitely cute enough to find a normal person." When Ranma finished she had a blush on her face as she remembered how Mir looked naked.

"Simple, I think I can trust you _because_ of your curse. I think someone like you would protest passionately against certain experiments. That is not to say that you don't have other good points, but that is what cinched it for me," Mir explained while sporting a small blush because of Ranma's compliment.

"I don't mind," Ranma said. "When would you like to go?"

"Tonight?" Mir asked with a smile.

"I can try, I kinda have to sneak out, because pops will try and stop me, and force me to marry someone of his choice. All to, in his words, 'unite the schools,' but he tends to talk in his sleep when drunk. So I know that he actually means to live off any money I make," Ranma said.

"What," Mir said in a flat voice. Meanwhile thinking, _if his father thinks that he will take away the first person in my four hundred years I am interested in…_

As Mir's expression darkened everyone backed away from her slightly.

Meanwhile Ranma was thinking, _what have I gotten myself into? She seems nice, but I can tell that there will be trouble when she is angry_.

Mir smoothed her expression when she noticed the slight trace of fear on Ranma's face. "Sorry, it just made me angry that he was trying to exploit his son that way," she explained partially.

Akane walked in, past a hidden Tofu, at this point, and said, "Sorry, I overheard you talking, and wanted to offer my assistance in distracting our fathers."

Mir gave a small smile as she responded, "Thanks, but who are you, and why do you want to help?"

"Oh sorry, my name is Akane, and the reason why I want to help is that I don't see Ranma and my sisters or me as a couple. No offence Ranma, I think we can be great friends, but I have enough trouble with Kuno NOW. Imagine what he would do if I got engaged? He would probably attack you at every turn, and since you can't defend yourself physically in that form, it would cause unnecessary hardship for you. As for my sisters, you're not rich enough for Nabiki, and Kasumi already likes someone," Akane explained.

"Err thanks, I think," Ranma said while scratching the back of her neck.

"I had better get back to the house to start the distraction," so saying she started out the door. She paused and asked, "by the way Cologne wanted to talk with you, so you want me to send her in?"

"I guess," Ranma said shrugging.

"How can a toiletry want to talk with you?" Sierra asked.

"Oh, Cologne is the name of an old Ghoul," ***Whap***,"Ow, what was that for?" Ranma responded, rubbing her head after Cologne removed her staff from it.

"What's this about?" Shurelia asked politely to try and head off Mir's temper.

Before Cologne could respond, Ranma explained about the psychotic Amazon laws, how they applied to her, and filled them in on the conversation their arrival interrupted.

Lyner's normally easygoing face set itself in a glare at Cologne as he responded to the story, "You're lucky your group doesn't live on our tower. It would have been wiped out ages ago, and any Amazon attempting to force those laws on others would have been arrested, right Shurelia?"

"Yes, murder is strictly punished on, in all sections of our tower," Shurelia agreed.

"Our traditions have lasted for over three thousand years, and have never failed. I personally have seen them in action for three hundred years," Cologne said.

"I and the tower I administer are over seven hundred years old, and in all that time I have NEVER seen it necessary to murder someone out of pride. In fact I have never seen the need for pure murder at all, corporal punishment yes, and attacks on criminal strongholds sure, but never just killing for such stupid reasons," Shurelia said scathingly. "We have also changed our laws to adapt with the times."

Ranma paled at the implications of Shurelia's speech. "Shurelia?" she said.

"Yes Ranma?" Shurelia responded.

"My cursed form seems to be based off of you, so will I live that long?" Ranma asked with a shaken voice.

"I don't know, it's possible though," Shurelia said gently.

Mir imperceptibly perked up at this. Due to the time she spent sealed away creating viruses, she was in fact part virus. This all but guaranteed her a far longer lifespan than normal Beta-type reyvateils. The fact that her perspective partner has that potential as well makes him/her FAR more attractive.

"Anyway," Cologne said. "I wanted to ask you something, Ranma."

"What do you want, Old…" Ranma paused and looked at Shurelia before he continued, "Sorry, what do you want ghoul? ***whap*** "OW!"

"I want to ask you, since you have people here that know how your magic works, to teach some of my tribe in exchange for immunity to our laws, and what aid we can supply," Cologne said.

After the old woman said that everybody but Ranma burst out laughing.

"What's your problem?" Cologne asked irritated at the response her request sparked off.

Lyner was the first to catch his breath, and so he responded, "Teach? Bwahahaha. You can't teach a person song magic, they have to be born a reyvateil to use it."

"And, how do you know we don't have one of these reyvateils in our tribe?" Cologne asked angrily.

Sierra took over as she caught her breath, "There are three types of reyvateils, Origin, Beta-class, and third generation. Betas and Origins are both artificially created in a lab, and third generations are born from a pairing of any of the types of reyvateils, and a human male. Of course since all reyvateils are female, all men are human. Since you are too stubborn to catch up to the world outside your tribe, I'm assuming that you are technologically inferior to what we see out the window. And what we see out the window shows that the technology OUTSIDE your village is inadequate to create a reyvateil. In short the chances of you having one in your tribe are between zero and well zero."

"What exactly are reyvateils?" Cologne asked her anger cooling as she realized that they had a point.

"An artificially created side branch of humanity, which is fully capable of interbreeding with normal humans. Genetically ninety-nine point eight nine percent identical to normal humans, the only difference is a small gene sequence that the Y chromosome in men deactivates. The only physical differences are what looks like a tattoo somewhere on their body called an installer port, and the ability to channel symphonic power, and the binary field to produce song magic," Shurelia explained.

Ranma paled as she touched her tattoo, and realized what it really was. She also realized that it was true; she wasn't quite human in her cursed form. The disturbed girl leaned toward Mir and asked quietly, "Is that true?"

"Yes, although the location of a reyvateils installer port is usually kept secret except when two people are close. If a reyvateil is close enough to a person she usually allows him or her to put special crystals called grathnode crystals into her. This increases the power or her songs. I wouldn't recommend it with you because I have no clue what would happen if you changed to male. I know Shurelia removed hers shortly before the experiment," Mir whispered back.

"Why is that?" Ranma asked.

"Because grathnode crystals act similar to a mild poison in a REYVATEILS body, which is designed to take them. Imagine if a long crystal recrystallizes when you change to your male form, it could easily skewer an internal organ," Mir responded.

Ranma winced at the thought, but remained quiet.

Cologne frowned at the description of what reyvateils are, as she responded to Shurelia, "so, in order to get the magic in the tribe we would have to adopt a reyvateil into the tribe?"

"Yes, but I can't think of any that would join your tribe with the laws you have, even if we can get home and back again. Plus you don't have the necessary support for any third generation reyvateils born into your tribe," Shurelia explained while Ranma and Mir started to leave the room.

"Wait," Lyner said as he removed a midsized box from his storage space. "Shurelia thought you might need this, it's a portable dive system," as he said that Lyner handed it to Ranma.

Ranma, walked out behind Mir struggling under the weight of the box. As they got to the lobby a set of hands took the box away.

"Let me carry that for you Ranma," Akane said.

"Thanks. Not that I mind, but I thought you were going home early?" Ranma replied

"Saw Kuno Limping about on his crutches, so I decided to stay. Now Ranma, if this is the least bit valuable I wouldn't leave it around the house, Nabiki or your father would probably steal and sell it," Akane commented.

Ranma stopped as she remembered the conversation between Ryoga and sierra, and the fact that the technology in that box is irreplaceable. She turned toward Mir, and asked nervously, "would you like to try it?" and upon seeing her face darken she continued, "You into me I mean. I don't know why but I think I can trust you. Also Akane's right, we need to set this up somewhere safer than the house I'm at."

Mir's face brightened as she heard that Ranma felt that she could trust her like that, and replied, "Sounds good, where do you think we should set it up to try it?"

Tofu, who was cycling between eavesdropping on the fascinating conversation with Shurelia, checking on Shampoo, and now eavesdropping on Ranma's group stepped in, and said, "I was on my way back here to check if I had more patients waiting when I overheard you talking.; If you wish you can set that up in a spare room I have. The room has a few comfortable chairs and a lockable cabinet that you can put it away after you're done."

Ranma looked at Mir, who nodded. Not that Mir particularly trusted the doctor, but it seemed he was telling the truth, at least about the safe place to dive and store the equipment.

"Sounds good," Ranma Replied.

"This way then," Dr. Tofu said as he started to lead them to the room.

Ranma and Mir followed, though not without a suspicious look from the latter.

* * *

Next up Chapter 12:

Ranma's first Dive

AN: where I'm getting all these phrases in hymnose is hamsterx(dot)homelinux(dot)org(slash)hymmnoserver(slash)index(dot)php

AN2: Please leave reviews, for both this story and Dragonstar 1/2. At present I don't know what people think of the latter, so I don't know weather it's worth continuing.


	12. This is NOT Good

Chapter 12

This is NOT Good

AN: translations for hymnos are in ().

---------------

Mir and Ranma sat in comfortable chairs facing each other. The main assembly of the portable dive machine sat between them, and in their hands sat the helmets to the device.

"Are you sure about this Ranma?" Mir asked. "It's generally not a good Idea to let someone you barely know dive into your mind."

"Yes, besides I remember from overhearing Sierra and Ryoga talking that the first level is usually just superficial thoughts and feelings," Ranma responded.

"True it's the barest surface thoughts, and feelings, but it's still your mind," Mir replied. "Ready Ranma?

"Yes."

---Mir's point of view---

My eyes became dazzled as I traveled through what looked like a tunnel of multi-colored hymnos characters. As my vision cleared I saw that I was in the middle of a stone brick platform surrounded by some standing stones. "So this is a Stonehenge, looks just like it was described in the books I read," I said aloud.

"Correct, welcome to Ranma's cosmosphere Mir," a cultured feminine voice said from behind me. The r's that the voice said were slightly rolled.

I jumped and swung around, only to see a black cloud flouting at approximately at my eye level. I could swear that I saw something solid shifting inside of the cloud, but the cloud is too thick for me to see the center. "You must be Ranma's mind guardian," I commented while at the same time, was I trying to get my heart under control.

"Yes, my name is Rain," the cloud responded.

"Rain? Suits your form, but why would Ranma have a cloud as a mind guardian? The mind guardian is supposed to represent something precious to a person, and no offence, but it's hard to imagine that a cloud would be important to a person," I asked with genuine curiosity.

"I'm not a cloud, but you are not quite trusted enough to know why I'm like this. When you get to the right level you will find out why I'm like this," Rain responded sadly.

/_Ranma's concealing her mind guardian?! I thought she wanted me to dive! Unless…/_ I thought. "Rain, can you tell me if she's hiding you from me, or herself?"

"Herself," Rain said with a sigh.

I was shocked to hear this, but also partially relieved that Ranma wasn't rejecting me like that. "Thank you for answering that, but I should really get started," I said as I started walking out of the Stonehenge.

As soon as I left the stone structure I stopped. I stood in front of a huge desert, off to my right in the distance I saw a corpse of dead trees that looked like they had dried from lack of water, to my left lay a broken city. I could have just used the map function of the dive to transport myself instantly to either place, but I felt that something important was in the desert. "What the hell happened to her? If it is this bad at level one, I'm actually scared at what's lower, unless she is concealing her true world with this one," I said.

"I'm not," a male voice said from behind me.

The voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I quickly turned around to face the owner of the voice.

It was Ranma's male form, but instead of the clothes he was wearing at the doctors clinic he was wearing black armor with crimson highlights, the armor was similar to Lyner's with only two exceptions. His upper arms were uncovered and on each forearm was a piece of armor with a foot long collapsible and retractable blade. "Ranma?" I asked with a note of irritation. I was really getting sick of getting snuck up on.

"Yes, I'm the one the dragon favors; the destruction you see is what is left after the dragon attacked." Ranma said.

"Favored? Dragon? Why would the dragon destroy your world?" I asked confused.

He shook his head as he replied, "Yes favored, the dragon is trying to remake me in his image. I'm trying to resist, but this level is the last stand. I'm going hunting, go into the city if you need more information." He then walked toward the forest. After a few steps the wind picked up, causing a sand storm to obscure him from view momentarily, and when the wind died down he was gone.

"Weird, I might as well follow his advice. The city is as good a place to go as any." I mumbled to myself.

"True," Rain said from behind me.

I turned toward him with a twitching eyebrow. I wonder where he went, not important I suppose.

I continued trekking to the city the slow way since I wasn't in a hurry. By the time I was half way through my dry, hot and dusty trek; I gave in and moved there using the map function.

After I arrived at the city I noticed that the city's buildings are totally wreaked. Most are burnt out shells, and some aren't even that well off. By my estimates the damage was done over a ten year period. Suddenly I see a blurry house of an unknown structural design. The house was almost transparent, but even so it looked better than the surrounding buildings. I then noticed a girl that was sitting on a bench across from the building. She was wearing a black and silver outfit, and as I approached I realized it looked like a color inverted version of Shurelia's basic outfit. with a start I also realized that it is Ranma's girl form sitting there. "Ranma, why did you send me here to learn more when you were just going to tell me anyway?"

She started and looked at me in confusion. "What are you… oh you met him," she said tiredly.

"Him?" I asked confused.

"Ranma," the depressed reyvateil answered.

"Aren't you…" I began.

"No, I was never given a name. I am simply myself, and the one that the dragon seeks to destroy above all else," she interrupted.

I pale; this is bad, very bad. Her personality is fractured, and fractured badly enough to see on level one. This combined with the other symptoms I have seen since the dive started made a pit open up in my stomach.

I struggled to keep my voice steady as I spoke to her, "First order of business is, you need a name, how about Kayla?" meanwhile I thought /_I need to get them to merge or accept each other eventually, but with her not having a name I think that it means that she thinks whatever this personality has is worthless./_

She looked at me puzzled, but nodded her assent.

"I'm hoping you can explain this favored and need to be destroyed thing to me," I said to her.

"The dragon always said girls were weak, stupid, and worthless. When I came into being the insults got worse. This is especially true because I couldn't practice any martial arts in this weak body. Martial arts are Ranma's life, and I'm useless to him," Kayla said sadly with tears streaming from her eyes.

_Being unable to do martial arts makes her useless?! What type of life had Ranma lead? Wait… _my thoughts stopped abruptly, and I turn toward Kayla and looked at her speculatively. My thoughts continue, _male:female, protector:protected, and aggressive:gentle. Two sides of the same coin one of which is critically suppressed by the 'dragon,' and the other forced into prominence. My god! The only person that could do that to someone is a parent this 'dragon' must be a parent, someone that Ranma should have been able to trust. What was done to me was worse, but at least it was strangers doing it._

I shook my head to clear it of the thoughts that was crowding it, and asked, "Why do you think you are useless if you can't do martial arts?"

"It's all we know. Our entire life has been nothing but training to master the art," Kayla sobbed out. "I mean look at me I'm crying like the weak girl that the dragon always called me."

I backed off at this point, and went to the map to take stock of the situation. The whole cosmosphere was a mess, although a patch of green caught my eye. I looked at the patch of green and saw a square meter circle of grass, and in the center was a bunch of boards nailed into thin air with "KEEP OUT!" painted on the center of the boards.

"This is horrible!" I said aloud.

"Yes it is," Rain said as she appeared in front of me.

"What's going on here? I figured some of the problem out, but what's the rest?" I demanded of Rain

"What have you figured out? I can explain some of what's going on but not all, and before you complain, this is because you need to figure some of it out on your own," Rain answered evenly.

I figured out that Ranma has a fractured, nearly split personality, that this 'dragon' which represents her father, tried to wipe parts of her mind from existence, both personalities are polarized with the qualities desirable to the worthless sack of shit mistakenly called a parent is the male Ranma I met, and the undesirable qualities are the in the female part Kayla," I said with more than a trace of venom in my voice.

"Impressive, you figured that out rather quickly. His father raised him to be a 'man among men' and a martial artist. To his father all of the 'softer' emotions and habits needed to be expunged from Ranma. That combined with insane training regimens caused a lot of damage to Ranma's psyche. The curse was the last straw." Rain sighed before continuing, "because without a full education, Ranma feels less than worthless, as a reyvateil Ranma feels less than worthless because she lost the only thing she was good at, and can't see what she can do besides martial arts. His/her psyche virtually shattered when she stepped out of the pool, it's a good thing you came when you did." After Rains explanation, I could have swore I heard her say, "I hate pronouns with Ranma."

"I see, one last question," I said speculatively.

"Yes?"

"What the hell is with those boards?" I asked, while I pointed at the aforementioned floating boards.

"Oh, that's connected to another cosmosphere; I boarded it off so no one could go through from either side." Rain answered.

"I see," I said absently. While I looked for my next destination, I saw two locations shining brightly.

One of the lights is in the middle of the desert, and one is in the dead forest. I made my choice ad headed for the desert.  
As soon as I get there I hear Kayla shout, "MIR, HELP"

I hit the ground running toward her voice, and soon I saw a western dragon attacking a figure on the ground. The dragon was roughly thirty three meters long, and was colored black, and a sickly looking green. As soon as I get in range I stop and start singing. As soon as I felt the magic charge to a point that it could be released I send it at the dragon. The blast hits the dragon midway along its length, and it stops its attack. The dragon takes one look at me, and starts laughing. As soon as it calms down it heads toward the forest.

"Why didn't you use your song magic?" I demand of Kayla as soon as I reach her.

"I can't fight, it's Ranma that's the fighter not me. I don't have the strength. I'm just a weak girl that needs someone to protect her," she said before running toward the city in tears. Like when Ranma walked off she disappeared in a swirl of sand.

I wanted to chase after her, but I also remembered the other glowing spot. It was in the forest, the same place Ranma and the dragon were headed! I quickly move to the forest.

As I arrived in the forest I found it deathly quiet. I proceeded forward carefully, and soon I heard a crashing sound coming at me from behind. I went down with Ranma flattening me to the ground.

"Sorry Mir," he said.

I got up and turned to give him a piece of my mind, when I saw the dragon from earlier crashing through forest directly at us.

"I got this Mir," the black armored figure said as he jumped up and gave the dragon a spin kick to the head.

The dragon chuckled and said, you think you can beat me alone Ranma? I'll show you just how powerless you are!" the dragon then flew off toward the city.

I thought about the dragons words, and suddenly I snapped my head up. _ Of course, why didn't I see the solution before? Time to solve this mess, _I thought, and shifted to the city.

I saw Kayla, and moved to stand near her. I then turned to look in the direction of the forest only to see the dragon flying straight at us and following close behind was Ranma.

Ranma yelled at the dragon, "NO, I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO HARM HER!"

As the dragon stopped to attack us Ranma launched himself at the dragon blades extended, only to get swatted down by the dragon's tail.

"Why do you insist on getting in my way? " the dragon said hotly. "I am doing you a favor by eliminating that worthless distraction! If you continue to get in my way I'll take you both down!" the dragon then released a cone of black fire at Ranma.

Kayla watched the fight while shaking in fear and she was whispering "Was yant ga," (I'm extremely fearful, please stop) Over and over. her eyes widened as she saw me. she snuck over to me, and asked, "why aren't you helping him? He'll be killed!"

I sadly looked at her as I responded, "It's not my place to help. He's your knight right now, and it's the partner's right and responsibility to help their knight. This means that if he is going to get help, it has to be from you!"

"But I can't!" she yelled.

***Slap!***

She looked at me as she touched her face where I hit her in shock.

"Listen, he is trying his best to help you, and here you are screaming that you lack the ability when I KNOW you can do it. You are a reyvateil! Act like one, and support your knight! If you don't, you are exactly what that THING tells you you are! A reyvateil who tries and fails is far superior to one that never tries at all. Tell me what does he need now, a reyvateil that is too much of a coward to do her duty, and listens to what her enemies say, or a partner to help vanquish his foes? I know that you have the power to help him, you just need to gather the courage!" I practically scream in her face.

Her eyes closed for a moment, until Ranma's scream cut through the air. Her eyes snapped open and saw Ranma pinned beneath the dragon's claw.

"You should have just let me kill the girl, boy. If you did you would have avoided this situation!" the dragon said, and reared back to cook the hapless young man. A ball of white light suddenly exploded against its head causing it to move off of Ranma.

"Y-you l-leave him al-lone!" Kayla stuttered.

"Kayla?!" Ranma yelped in shock.

"Y-yes, I-I c-came to h-help." Kayla responded, fear still evident in her voice. She paused to get a deep breath, and sang "Was granme wa TIE JENGE!" (I can tolerate this, because I need to be very brave, RESTRAIN MY ENEMY!) Two forms appeared over her head, they looked like two female knights with whips, one in blue armor, one in red. The knights flew toward the dragon, and caught it near the head and at the tail, immobilizing it.

Shaking off the shock from seeing Kayla actually helping, Ranma said, "My turn!" He then ran toward the dragon, jumped up and plunged his right hand blade into the dragons skull, killing it instantly.

He started to turn toward us, only to turn back to the dragon and assume a defensive stance as the dragon dissolved into a red and green mist, shoot over to the Stonehenge and disappear.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I don't know, but I don't think we've seen the last of it," Ranma said. "Thank you Kayla, I don't know whether I could have done it without you."

"No, thank Mir, she was the one that slapped some sense into me," Kayla said. She then muttered, "Literally."

I smiled as I thought, _better than I expected, she learned to have courage and that she isn't useless, and he learned that he needs help sometimes. _"No problem," I replied.

I noticed a bright light bean to shine at this point from the corner of my eye. I looked toward it and realized what it was. "A Paradigm shift," I said. I looked around I see neither Ranma nor Kayla, and realize that they are already probably at the Stonehenge.

Still smiling I moved to the Stonehenge. Upon my arrival I saw the two of them standing side by side near the pillar of golden light.

"Looks like we made it, eh Mir?" Ranma said.

"Agreed we couldn't have done it without you," Kayla chipped in.

"no, you two did all the work," I responded.

Both of them swept me into a hug before vanishing into the Paradigm shift.

Before the dive ended I slumped against the Stonehenge, and said, "That was unexpectedly intense."

"What was with the dragon turning into a cloud?" I asked.

"You will find out either by diving deeper, or from Ranma him/herself," Rain answered sagely.

As the dive ended I saw both of Ranma's forms standing back to back, wearing what they were wearing during the dive.

---End Mir's Point of View---


	13. Ranma’s First Dive – Aftermath

Chapter 13: Ranma's First Dive – Aftermath

Ranma's and Mir's eyes slowly opened. After regaining their bearings they carefully removed their dive equipment.

Ranma closed her eyes as a spike of pain from the integration of the new songs hit her. The songs quickly built up to completion, leaving her slightly dazed even after the pain left.

As Ranma was assimilating the new knowledge a certain purple haired prideful menace was sneaking up behind Ranma with a sword posed to remove Ranma's head from her shoulders.

Mir's eyes narrowed at this and was about to fire off a quick song, when a meaty thwack rang out, and Shampoo's head was replaced by the head of a staff. Following the staff downwards a small wrinkled old woman was discovered holding the bottom end.

Mir abandoned her song, as it appeared that the danger had passed, and glared at the old woman. "So is this Amazon honor," she spat out viciously.

Cologne sighed before responding in a resigned voice, "No, we do not accept attacking others in such a cowardly way. I will see to her punishment, which will be worse now that she attempted to break a treaty. I have spoken with Shurelia about your cursed nature, and the nature of her people, and that coupled with a treaty we made and my great granddaughters cowardly attack your kiss of death is void."

Ranma looked at her to see if she could detect a lie before responding, "Thanks ghoul," *whap!* "I mean elder."

The old woman smiled her ghoulish smile, and said, "But I'm not leaving yet young lady." Her smile widened at the wince Ranma performed at the lady comment before continuing, "Lyner has requested that I help train him and your male form in some fighting techniques in exchange for his fighting style. The boy is quite skilled with the sword, and some of his special techniques are effective. The treaty that I signed with Shurelia, states that in exchange for her asking for volunteers to join our tribe, and the knowledge to keep third generation reyvateils alive, all reyvateils and their partners, including the ones that join our tribe, are now immune to our kiss and marriage laws. I would also like to examine you two so I can get the difference between the types of reyvateils and see whether the physical weakness can be overcome."

"So, no killing reyvateils that manage to beat your warriors or forcing them to marry because they lost a fight?" Ranma asked.

"Correct, but before I examine you two I have to restrain shampoo," cologne responded. She then pulled a decent length of rope out of her left sleeve, and started tying her up. In the middle of her efforts she got a nasty smirk and changed her tying style from a mere restraint to shibari, after she was finished she pulled an old ball gag out from her robes and put it in Shampoo's mouth.

Outside the clinic, a young man with bullet proof glasses and dressed in a white robe was looking through the window into the room in which Ranma, Mir, Cologne, and the now explicitly tied up shampoo were, a shocked expression marred his face as he thought, _Since when has my Shampoo been so dishonorable? I was sent here by my mother for eye surgery, she said she 'hoped it would clear my eyes of your obsession.' I agreed so I could challenge her for her hand without my glasses making me look like a dork but…_ A slight chuckle emanated from the nearly blind boy at Shampoo's plight. _ Who knew the old ghoul was so into bondage?_

Back in the clinic Cologne was finishing her examination of Ranma's reyvateil form's and Mir's ki pathways. "Well Mir, your ki pathways are quite a bit different from Sierra's, Shurelia's, and Ranma's what type of reyvateil are you?" Cologne asked.

"Beta, but I spent a long time in the binary field, so I'm probably considered part virus," Mir hesitantly explained.

"Virus?" Ranma asked curiously.

"Long story and it's something I'm not particularly proud of," Mir replied nervously while hoping Ranma would drop the subject.

Ranma shrugged, and replied, "I understand, I just hope you trust me enough later to tell me." Ranma ignored Mir's wince at that slight accusation, but remained silent as Ranma turned toward Cologne. "And what about me?

Your pathways seem to be slightly different from Shurelia's. this could be individual variation, due to your curse being a direct one rather than a second hand curse, there could be a slight bleed off from your normal form to your cursed form and vice versa, or a combination of the above. From what I'm seeing I'd bet on the bleeding of nature being at least partially responsible, but I would need to check your male form to be sure," the old woman explained.

"I'll get some hot water," Mir said while thinking, _if something is wrong with him/her I want to know._

A few minutes later she came back with a cup of hot tap water. She then poured the water on Ranma reverting her to his original form.

Ranma shook his head as a spike of pain shot through it, which indecently scattered water droplets all over the place. He felt the songs he recently learned convert to new martial arts techniques; while he still know the songs they were now something he could use with his ki rather than magic. Oddly the binary field which he normally couldn't sense as a male was still faintly sensible.

Cologne looked at Ranma in concern as he put his hand to his head due to the pain, but put it out of her mind when it passed in less than a second. She then moved around him, and checked his ki pathways. She shook her head at what she found, and replied, "You definitely seem to have some bleed off between your cursed form and your regular one, oddly it looks like it started within the past few hours. Don't worry while this condition is extremely rare, but not unknown or dangerous. The bleed off will never be a full merger, but minor characteristics, both mental and physical, will show up in both forms, and no it won't be something like adding breasts to your male form. It has almost always been minor things like hair color, texture, and/or length, some abilities from one form being added to another. The biggest physical change we have on record was a male that fell in the spring of drowned horse, and it ended up making his wife very happy."

_So that explained the abilities I gained when I changed back,_ Ranma thought. _And I still have no clue how to pass them on._

"I need to get home before pops blows his top, I'll meet you in front of here for our date," after he said that he dashed out the door, and took top the rooftops in a beeline to the Tendo Dojo.

Outside the window the robed man looked at the developing closeness between the Jusenkyo cursed individual, and the young looking woman in the skimpy black outfit and sighed, due to the fact he had no one to be even as close as they are now. He then mumbled curses under his breath that the cute chick with the silver hair was a guy.

"Who are you and why are you spying through the window?" a hostile voice from behind him said.

The Robed man spun around quickly to see Sierra glaring at him while holding a reddish orange ball of energy above her head. He quickly replied, "My name is Mousse, and I was looking for Shampoo. I was shocked that she could try something like that to someone. I always thought she was a great and honorable warrior, but such a cowardly attack…" he finished by shaking his head.

Sierra dropped her hostile attitude and dispelled her energy ball song before responding, "That's good considering what she did. I was afraid that I would have to remove you if you were going to try to do the same."

"Considering the treaty that was recently formed between me and Shurelia, I'm proud that he was able to restrain himself, even with his obsession with my great granddaughter," Cologne said as she pogoed in behind Sierra.

"That display killed much of my obsession with her I'm afraid. I had no Idea she was capable of being so cowardly and dishonorable," he paused and looked at his watch. "**CRAP!** I'm nearly late! See you again Miss…"

"Sierra Lune."

Mouse waved as he dashed down the street. His eye appointment was scheduled in five minutes. On the way he thought about the differences between his Shampoo, the black haired Sierra, and the silver haired Jusenkyo victim. Fortunately his bullet proof glasses were still on and he managed to avoid looking like an idiot by running into anything before he turned the corner. However shortly after he turned the corner a loud crash was heard and a trashcan lid rolled out from the alleyway he turned into by mistake.

Cologne chuckled at the boy's antics before sighing and pulling out a rule book to discover what punishment Shampoo will receive for her crimes. The one she really needed to look up hadn't been broken in her lifetime so she was rusty on the punishment. Upon arriving at the proper page she stiffened. The punishment that was listed was quite possibly the worse one that could possibly be made for a warrior, especially for one as prideful as her Great Granddaughter. Resigned to the loss of her heir she pogoed back into the clinic. Upon arriving inside she immediately saw Tofu talking to Sierra who had entered while she was checking her book. "Excuse me," she interrupted. As the two stopped talking and turned toward her she continued, "Dr. Tofu do you have some paper, a pen, an envelope, and some stamps I could use? I need to write home to acquire some things for Shampoo's punishment.

Tofu nodded with a confused expression on his face before he excused himself from Sierra and left the room. A minute later he returned with the requisite items. After handing them to Cologne he returned to his conversation about the pros and cons of diving.

With a resigned heart she started filling out a letter describing the recently formed treaty, the reasons for the terms, Shampoo's crimes, and the request for the materials necessary for the punishment. After she finished the letter and sealed it in the envelope she moved to the nearest mailbox just as the mailman arrived. Handing the letter directly to the man she was about to retrieve her wayward ex-heir when she saw Shampoo heading in the same direction Ranma went off in. Obviously she managed to get out of her bonds, so Cologne used her staff like a javelin and knocked her out once again. Retying Shampoo in the same manner the old woman added her ki into the knots that will prevent anyone not having the same ki signature from undoing the knots. Taking a second gag out of her robes she regagged Shampoo. She then started walking while dragging her heir to the hotel she had arranged for them both earlier in the day.

Midway there she saw an odd site. It looked like a female Ranma with a bigger chest, catlike features, and red hair. The cat girl was walking past her like she wasn't even there grumbling, "This is getting ridiculous, I hope Ryoga finds me soon so I can get home to Auntie Min…"

Cologne watched in shock until the catgirl popped out of existence a few seconds later.

The old woman shook her head, and mumbled, "Must be too much stress, I'm starting to hallucinate." She then continued on her way to her hotel.

Back at the dojo, a fat man was waiting for his son/daughter to get back. He had thought about his declaration the night before and decided to talk with Ranma about it.

"I'm back!" Ranma's voice sounded from the front door.

Genma waited fairly patiently for Ranma to come into the main room. As soon as he did Genma said, "Sit down boy, I need to say something." After Ranma sat at the table Genma took a deep breath as what he was about to say needed to be said, but it was painful to his pride. "Yesterday I said that if you were going to spend so much time as a girl that I was going to force you to go as one and dress the part. I changed my mind, because the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts would be disgraced if you were to be hit with hot water in a girls uniform. You will still go to school as a girl since you are registered as one, at least until your curse becomes public knowledge.

"Thanks pops, but I'm surprised you thought of that," Ranma said, while unknown to Ranma it was Soun that pointed the problem out.

"Anyway, since you are male at the moment," Genma paused and grabbed Ranma by his shirt and threw him to the back yard via the open paper doors. "We can spar."

With a midair flip Ranma landed in front of the koi pond. Amazingly he missed it by over two feet instead of landing in it. Ranma immediately noticed his ki reserves had grown by at least ten to twenty percent since the last time he fought. Considering that he wasn't physically working out as much it was a surprise, but before he could think more on the issue his father was heading toward him with a jump kick.

Ranma dodged the fat man's attack, and decided to retaliate with one of his new attacks. With a shout of "PRIMAL BLAST!" he sent a pure white ki blast at the fat father. Genma, who was shocked into stillness at his son performing a technique that he thought beyond his capabilities was hit dead on in the chest, and sent flying back into the perimeter wall creating a perfect imprint in it.

Ranma was breathing heavily from using the blast, due to his inexperience with its use. Ranma was looking at his hands from which the blast emerged, and missed his father slowly, due to a few cracked ribs, charging at him. By the time he realized it his father had grabbed him and dunked him, now her, into the koi pond effectively ending the fight. A female Ranma climbed out of the pond, and tried to change into the clothing she was in last night. But instead of that forming she formed the black and silver version she wore, unknown to her, in the cosmosphere. Ranma noticed that while the clothing _felt_ like what she wore yesterday it definitely _looked_ different. Rushing to the bathroom to get a look at herself she found she liked the look of the black better than the silvery white she wore the day before.

Genma watched his neo-daughter form the clothing simply sighed, and walked back into the living room. Remembering what happened yesterday when she changed back; it was possible that her normal clothes would reform if she changed back. The only thought that went through his head, unfortunately was spoken aloud, "I just hope the boy's mother doesn't see him like that."

Akane, who was about to enact the plan that her sisters helped her with stopped when she heard that. She moved quietly back to the kitchen to inform her sisters of the new development. A few minutes later she reemerged to start the plan, and Nabiki left after her to go to her room to do some research on her computer.

"Mr. Saotome, Nabiki did some research on Jusenkyo and found a cure for the spring of drowned panda only," she paused in her speech to pull out two sheets of paper before continuing, "one of these is a map, and the other is the instructions that must be followed exactly or else the cure won't work. She simplified the instructions for you without losing the meaning of them."

Genma read the instructions and grimaced at them.

The paper read as follows.

1. Only you and your best friend may travel for the cure.

2. The time limit for this cure is in three days, after that the next time conditions are right is twenty years from that day.

3. When you arrive at the site marked on the map wait until midnight.

4. At midnight strip you and your friend must strip and dig underneath the boulder with prayer strips in it.

5. You and your friend must douse yourselves with the water found there. Congratulations you are now cured.

Just as Genma finished the instructions Soun walked into the main room. Genma looked at his best friend as he entered, and quickly stood up. He moved to face him and said excitedly, "Soun old friend, I need your help. Your daughter found me a cure, but I need your help, and we need to leave immediately. Take a look!" he handed the papers to Soun.

Soun who was feeling railroaded into the decision replied, "But what about getting your son to marry one of my daughters?"

Genma scoffed, and said, "bah, who else would he marry? He knows no other girls." In a clinic not far away a black haired young woman, or is it old? Sneezed. "I made sure of that during the training trip. I'm sure that him living with your three lovely daughters will make him fall for one of them, and they him. Not to mention we will be gone less than a week. If we delay too long we won't get there in time for the cure, and I'll have to wait twenty years to get cured."

Soun sighed and knew that he had to help his friend, although the X on the map looked to be in a familiar location, but he couldn't remember why. He sadly shook his head, and tried to get rid of the feeling of doom coursing through his mind. Going upstairs he quickly dug out his backpack from his closet and started packing.

Genma on the other hand simply went upstairs and picked up his still mostly packed backpack.

Ten minutes later the two fathers stood in front of the house. One was berating his neo-daughter to choose a fiancée while the other father was crying his eyes out at leaving his babies behind, although the smug expressions on Akane's and Nabiki's faces worried him slightly.

As the two dimwit fathers walked away the group moved inside. As soon as they were in the main room Nabiki and Akane gave each other a high five, Ranma went upstairs to do what he could to prepare for his date after thanking the sisters, and Kasumi went to start cooking dinner for her and her sisters.

After the high five Nabiki went to the phone, and started dialing a number that she had found online less than an hour before. Akane on the other hand grabbed a glass of hot water and headed upstairs to see if she could help Ranma get ready for his date. Her thought ran like this, _not gonna have to marry a pervert!_

End Chapter 13

Next time:

AN: the Catgirl cameo was from Angel frog's story Neko, and used with permission.


	14. Dating Issues

Reyvateil Ranma Book One:

Chapter: Dating Issues

AN: Poll is closed. Result: Jubaan

AN2:New poll will be up soon

* * *

Ranma was searching through his clothes and sighed as he realized that the only clothes he had were in one style. Figuring that was settled he remembered that he needed to decide where to go, and realized that he had absolutely no clue as to where modern _boys_ enjoy going to, much less girls, and even less girls from another dimension.

So he quickly went downstairs to speak with the eldest Tendo sister. He found her in the kitchen finishing supper. "Kasumi," he said, "I need a suggestion, I have a date with a girl, she's about my age, where should I take her? It needs to be cheap though, pops never gave me money."

Nabiki was listening in and spoke up, "I have an idea that would make money for us both, if you agree I'll provide a reasonable amount of funds for your date, as a kind of a sign on bonus."

Seeing as Kasumi was thinking on what advice to give, the male in the room asked, "Idea?"

" Yes, and it should give both of us some cash flow," came the reply, as she thought, _and I could loosen up on some of my 'other' money making schemes, as well as make up for the fact the schools going to be closed for the foreseeable future. _She then continued in a normal tone of voice, "I had heard your singing through the open windows of my classroom and yours, as well as heard the accounts of people who were there. I could arrange for you to sing at parties, and we split the money fifty-fifty."

"Nabiki..." Kasumi started.

"The fifty-fifty is to help pay for his room and board, our finances were fairly tight before they came here, and while getting the fathers out of the house for a while helps while there gone..." Nabiki said.

Kasumi sighed and nodded her head at the point, just as Ranma replied, "Agreed, as long as it's _just_ singing, and it's not parties that someone my age shouldn't be attending."

Kasumi brightened as Nabiki nodded and, she had an idea now that money wasn't as much of a problem. "Ranma how about the amusement park? It's a place where both of you could have fun, and get to know each other without being too intimate for a first date." Kasumi paused for a second as she saw the time, and continued, "although it might be best to go tomorrow, it's far to late tonight."

Ranma nodded and headed for the phone, which had emergency numbers listed next to it such as police, fire department, Doctor Tofu, Hazmat, and the ambulance company. Just as he reached it the phone rang.

* * *

Meanwhile At Dr. Tofu's clinic, a group of three girls and two guys were sitting in the living room of doctor Tofu's clinic/home while discussing the plans for the group of dimensional travelers.

"I think I can help you four get set up with some IDs. I have a friend in the local court house, he can expedite the process," the doctor explained.

Lyner nodded then paused as a thought struck him, and he asked, "Shouldn't we do something for Shurelia's cursed form as well?"

"As well as Ranma's," Mir added.

Dr. Tofu nodded as the points were made, and responded, "Yes your right, we should get things set up tomorrow. Shurelia, you and Ranma will need to demonstrate your curses for a judge, but I see no problem after that. Assuming of course, that the judge doesn't have a heart attack. Mir, you should call Ranma and tell him to meet us here tomorrow morning at nine. The number is XXX-XXXX. After your done dinner will be ready, so come to the dining room."

Mir grunted, walked to the phone, and dialed quickly. She was surprised by the quickness that it was answered. "Ranma?" she asked. "We would like to meet you tomorrow here to solve some legal issues with your curse, we're meeting tomorrow at nine. Wait what? You want to cancel for tonight?" her eyes narrowed as she continued the call, "Why?" she relaxed as the explanation on the other side continued. "I see, that actually makes sense, shall we do it the day after tomorrow instead? Nine thirty? Fine." upon hearing the answer she gave a genuine smile and finished the phone call with, "See you tomorrow."

Mir walked to the dining table and seeing an empty place sat down, and asked a question that, if they were going to pretend to be legal citizens, "What are we going to do for money?"

"I have plenty," Lyner said as he brought out a bag of Leaf, the currency of the Towers.

"Mind if I see?" Ono Tofu asked. Lyner slid a small gold coin from the bag across the table to the doctor. Tofu picked up the coin and frowned at it and shook his head, this isn't currency here, but it should be easy to convert it to yen." He also started dishing out servings of food

Lyner's face fell at the first part of the doctors explanation, but brightened up as he heard the second and with a nod dug into the food that was set in-front of him. The rest of the group did the same, and Tofu made plans to call up an antique dealer to appraise the coins, that they looked quite old, and since they were from what is apparently a unknown country, they would be both rare and valued by collectors.

* * *

The next day Ranma was five minutes late arriving at the clinic, and the group set off to the court house. The proceedings went smoothly, until it was time to demonstrate the curses to the judge, the judge was expecting a simple disguise trick, and took a drink of water, but when the cursed individuals splashed themselves with water, which not only added, or subtracted inches, and since Ranma was in the armor she can form by changing to male with her outfit that he/she could make after Mir's dive into him/her, their clothes changed, Ranma's into a black and silver leotard type outfit, and Shurelia's into a suit of white armor. After hacking for a bit the judge saw it was real and signed a document allowing them to have their alternate IDs. He also signed the documents confirming the marriage between Shurelia and Lyner. He did something that wasn't discovered until later, but explained the judges final comment, "And remember to attend school when the school districts distribute the Furinkan students."

Later on, as the paperwork was being finished the Ar tonelico group met with a antique dealer who purchased a few coins with a promise to pay more if his buyers purchased them for more than he expected.

As they stepped out of the court house with their new IDs they noticed that the sun was setting, so with Ranma's promise to pick her up the two groups split up. On the way to the clinic Mir took a look at her ID, stalled, and said, "What the?"

Shurelia walked over and looked at the ID and said, "So that's why you had to fill out the school application." she started to chuckle, but stopped when she remembered that she filled out the same forms, and looked at her own ID, it had the same issue Mir saw with hers.

The age on both ID's was sixteen.

* * *

The next day Ranma dressed in a set of adjustable, and new, black silks in his normal style, which Nabiki had found on sale. He took off with some cash in his pocket to pay for the date, and not even the fact that he arrived as a reyvateil caused him to be unhappy, especially since he was not only having a date with a cute girl, but she was defying the panda of a father. After she knocked at the door to the clinic in which the dimensional travelers were staying in, Dr. Tofu answered the door, and said, "Hello Ranma, let me get some hot water for you."

"Thank you, Doctor. Where is Mir?" Ranma asked nervously. As the doctor started to move off.

"Taking a bath, you are wrong gender, might give people the wrong idea about her."

Tofu shook his head and said with a glint in his eyes, "I've been with living with her for the last two and a half days, and I can say that she doesn't care about the opinions of others, with the possible exception of you."

"Me?" Ranma asked surprised.

"Well..." Dr. Tofu started.

"Finish that comment, and..." A female voice said right before Mir entered the room, as she deliberately left the threat vague. She was wearing the same rather skimpy outfit she had put on after Ranma had asked her to put on clothes when they first met except for a leather pouch in a native American style now hanging around her neck.

"Hehehe," the doctor chuckled nervously. "I see.."

"So Ranma are we ready?" Mir asked her date.

Ranma nervously scratched the back of his head as he replied, "Sure, let's go."

As the two left for the subway station in Nerima a picture was taken with the doctors Polaroid camera held by a girl dressed in a whitish silver outfit.

The two moved to the subway station, without incident, Mir was trying to coax information about Ranma's life from him, while Ranma was trying with less success to to the same to her. She was remarkably closed lipped her past. The arrived at the subway station in good order and Ranma pulled the money out and purchased the tickets to the closest amusement park, and led the black haired girl to the proper platform before asking, "Mir, why won't you tell me about your past?"

Mir sighed, and even though he wasn't much more open about his past he, he had told her some. She sighed and replied, "because, I did some horrible stuff earlier in my life, and I want you to get to know _me_, before I tell you about it, so that you could judge me on who I am today, _not_ who I was then. That is also the reason I didn't want you to dive into me yet."

Ranma nodded, and put his arm left around her shoulders, and replied, "I see... I suppose I cant blame you, but promise me, you will tell me before too long."

Mir looked at him and nodded. She then replied, "When I think your ready, You can dive into me, it _will _show up there and it will make you understand the problem better than a verbal explanation ever could."

Ranma nodded at her that he understood. The train came in just then, ending their conversation, with a loud screech of breaks a car stopped right in front of them. Neither of them noticed a man with thick glasses as a bandaged eye boarding another car with a crimson haired beauty. The train ride was uneventful, until somebody took Mir's skimpy outlandish dress for an invitation, and grouped her. She turned around with an outraged squawk and slapped the man. The man, who was used to his victims not resisting backed off a step.

"What's wrong Mir?" Ranma asked concerned.

"That man just grabbed my ass," she replied hotly, and started softly singing.

"No Mir, let me handle this," Ranma said. He then moved to the man and grabbed his shirt, and said, "did you just grope my girlfriend?

The man started shaking his head violently after he discovered that he couldn't escape from the iron hard grasp of the man accosting him. "so your calling my girlfriend a liar?" the man shook his head again and suddenly realized his mistake just before the boy in front of him decked him, sending him into the land of dreams.

Mir was faintly blushing at the display, and whispered to Ranma when he returned to her side, "That wasn't necessary, but thank you."

"I'm well aware that you could've taken him with a song, but I didn't want you to hit the other people," Ranma explained.

Word of how the groper was harmed by the violent man whom was dating the victim spread through the adjacent cars. The story was also countered with one about a groper that ended up tied up in chains by another boyfriend, this one almost three quarters blind in his good non covered eye, of what seemed like a tomboy.

The other woman of the train, while slightly outraged that the two boys seemingly violated the don't look don't tell rules of Japanese society, were secretly glad that the two had been punished.

The ride went peacefully, and the two boy's were unaware of the consequences of their actions, that it would take several weeks for the gropers to obtain the nerve to try again.

* * *

Soon enough the subway train stopped at the stop and both the couples who got on in Nerima got off. The left the station and took a bus to the Park.

Mir's eyes widened as they arrived, she in all her years had never seen anything like the place, for in the tower from which he haled, space was at an even greater premium than in Japan, there might be more space in the remaining part of the wings of houris, but unlike Japan, they had to produce everything themselves, which included food, and they were unable to supplement it from the sea since it lay in the sea of death.

Mir was actually more exited than ever, this looked like a chance to reclaim part of what was stolen from her, her childhood.

She followed Ranma to the ticket seller and with a glance at the prices pulled the appropriate amount of money out. Ranma opened his mouth to protest that he would take care of it, but closed it at a look from her. He had just dug out enough money for himself when she handed him his ticket. With a sigh he realized that dates with Mir would have different rules than what the Tendo sisters told him, he replaced the money, and took the ticket. They entered the park, and due to the lateness of the year, found it almost empty. Mir pulled him to a ring toss game booth, and started trying it. Ranma's mouth twitched as he saw which prize she was trying for, it was the peg in front of a rather creepy looking stuffed skeleton. Soon enough the black haired girl got frustrated with her inability to hit the target. She was about to try again when another hand handed the vendor the money and took the three rings. Looking sideways she saw Ranma giving her a grin, and with three tosses won the skeleton, a stiffed zombie, and a doll with a spooky smile. The pigtailed boy handed the three prizes to to his black haired date.

Mir dragged Ranma through the park, where they played some games, he won her a few other items a mask of a dragon, as well as other spooky items. They split the cost of lunch since the black haired reyvateil refused to be the traditional girl on a date and have the male pay for everything.

After lunch They started on the rides, Mir dragged the pigtailed boy to the tunnel of love, and they both got in the boat, although Ranma was nervous about being near so much water. Ahead of them in line Mir recognized Sierra, but didn't say anything to her date especially since she seemed to be on a date herself, Ranma on the other hand didn't recognize her. Behind them a short haired blond and a long haired woman with sea green hair took a boat.

Midway through the ride a small pipe burst before it was shut off dousing Ranma and Mir with cold water. Mir simply shook her head to get the water and resumed her cuddle. Ranma was nervous though, he didn't want people to think her date was a pervert. All to soon the ride came to an end through the loop, and the ride attendant was surprised to find that a male passenger was replaced by a female one, but since she, by her wristband, was apparently a paying customer, and no screams about finding a dead body could be heard, he decided to let it go.

The next stop was a stall for some hot unsweetened tea so the Ranma could change back, although Mir said it wasn't necessary he insisted for her reputation.

The day went on enjoyably for the two, as they went on more rides, won a few more prizes, and generally had a good time. The sole exception was after one of the rollercoasters that had the people hanging down. Mir had ended up feeling slightly queasy after the ride.

As dinner time approached they decided to head home, when they heard a voice calling for help, in a relatively abandoned part of the park that they had been on the edge of. The section was abandoned because the electricity, besides the lights wasn't working. Ranma, along with his black haired date, moved in the direction of the voice, only to find a group of five boys attacking a sixteen year old girl with black hair with purple highlights and purple eyes, they had already ripped the front of her blouse when Mir sang the song for a low powered energy ball, while Ranma sent two low powered primal blasts at two others. The energy ball blew two of the thugs into a wall, while the ki attacks did the same for two others. The leader of the thugs turned to see the interlopers, and as soon as he did he was met by a sucker punch that shattered his jaw.

"Are you alright?" Ranma asked. He the took of his shirt and handed it to the girl leaving his chest covered solely in a tank top. "Here you can cover up with this, your shirt is totaled, then we should move to a safer location."

The girl blushed at the figure of the fit pigtailed boy in front of her, and replied, "Thank you." meanwhile her thoughts where spinning, _they aren't senshi, but they were able to take them down with what looked like magic, are they yoma? But if so why did they help me? He's cute, is he with her? Should I tell the others?_

Mir nodded and was glad that she read Ranma right in that he probably wouldn't appreciate he killing those people, even if they probably deserved it by what they wanted to do to that girl.

The girl spoke up again, "My name is Hotaru Tomoe, it's nice to meet you..."

"Ranma Saotome, and this is Mir, and I think it would be best if we find somewhere to talk. Are you here alone, or with your parents?" the pigtailed boy responded as the black haired girl nodded.

"Ummm, we are supposed to meet in the coffee shop across from the Ferris wheel in about half an hour," Hotaru responded.

"How about we take you there and wait with you, so that you wont be bothered," Mir asked, and as expected her question drew a grateful look from her date.

Hotaru looked relieved that she wouldn't have to be alone after that event, and took the lead to show them the way. ten minutes later they were sitting in the shop, and had ordered some snacks, Hotaru was now wearing a purple souvenir T-shirt, given the shirt she had borrowed back to Ranma, who was now wearing it once again, and was munching on some snacks they had purchased.

* * *

Meanwhile back at the sight of the attack a woman in a black and white fuku was looking at the bruised, broken, but still breathing forms of her ward's would be rapists. Her plan had been simple, let Hotaru get attacked, and right before she got raped save her, thus reinforcing Hotaru's belief that not only her fellow senshi would help her, but to prevent her from trying to get a boyfriend and screwing up her plans. Hotaru had been a tad too interested in getting a boyfriend for her liking when her destiny said she shouldn't have one, and actually came close to succeeding. Returning to the gates of time she checked back at the event, but saw static instead of the same scene she had seen before teleporting, and looking at the present she saw herself comforting the purple eyed girl. Completely confused she moved her view to look in on the agreed meeting place, and was shocked to see...

static. She could only see vague shapes, it was if something, or someone was jamming the gates. She ten teleported to the nearest bathroom and walked to the shop. Upon arriving she saw Hotaru safe and chatting with a skimpily clad female that set her teeth on edge for some reason, and a male that did the same, but nowhere near as bad as the girl. Just then a waiter tripped and caught the male with a cup of ice water. The transformation was stunning to the senshi of time, as well as causing the uncomfortable feeling from the neo-girl to spike to nearly the level of the girl she was with, she had never heard of that type of magic. Fortuitously she was in a position so that she could read his lips as he explained about Jesenkyo. With that explanation she left them as her housemates arrived, as she didn't want to have to explain why she was there to them, and as soon as she could she retransformed and moved back to the gates that were her responsibility. The green haired woman immediately started looking at Jesenkyo from a point of about a year in the past, but just before the male she saw with Hotaru fell in static covered the view from the gates, and the static remained to this day. She started cursing as she started the four week long, for her, shutdown, reinitialization, and recalibration of the gates of time. Fortunately she could compress the time, so that she could do it before work in two days.

* * *

After the explanation of his curse Hotaru thought for a second and said, "I think it makes you unique, and I would love to be your friends." she then took a breath and mumbled, "besides, my parents made me curious of the other side of the fence as well."

Mir's and Ranma's keen ears, which were part of the reyvateil package as they had to be able to easily distinguish tones for singing, and they had a slight grin and blush respectively.

"Hello Hotaru, who are your friends?" a short haired woman dressed in men's clothes asked from behind the named girl. "they're pretty cute, aren't they Michiru?"

She was swatted on the back of the head by another young woman, this one with long sea green tresses. "Behave Haruka, don't chase her new friends away," she said sternly before smiling at the two. "So how do you know our daughter?"

"They saved me from some boys, and bought me this shirt after they had tore my other one to try and get it off of me," Hotaru explained to her parental figures, all the while leaving out that Ranma was originally male, and _exactly_ how they saved her.

Both Haruka and Michiru were royally pissed at what they were hearing, but realized that the boys involved were punished, apparently rather severely, meant that they had nothing to do.

"Thank you for rescuing our daughter," Michiru said. "and I hope you can become good friends, Ranma, Mir." The green haired woman saw them looking at them, and Hotaru, so she clarified, "We adopted her after something bad happened to her father."

The two nodded, Ranma because he could always use a friend, and Mir because she had developed a soft spot for the girl as well.

"Now here," Michiru said as she wrote down their address and phone number, and handed it to the two. "please come visit, our daughter needs more friends, but now we need to head home, Hotaru has school tomorrow, and I imagine you two do as well."

Ranma took the paper and put it in his pocket, and silently promised to visit their new friend, and blushed as she caught a snippet of conversation from the blond of departing family, "So those two share our leanings?"

"We should head back ourselves," Ranma said as she stood up.

Mir nodded as she was deep in thought, something about the past conversations combined with how she was alone in an abandoned place, made her think something wasn't adding up.

They left the park, and since Mir insisted that Ranma didn't need to change back, as she said she was interested in him/her as a whole, not just the part he was born as.

The two took the female only car back, so they wouldn't have to deal with gropers, and Ranma asked, "Why?"

"Huh?" Mir responded confused.

"Why didn't you want me to change back?"

"Oh that, well several reasons, first I consider this as much 'you' as your other form, second I don't really care how most people see me, third I saw this car and figured we would have less trouble if we took it, and most importantly, I wanted you to see that I'm not embarrassed to be seen with you like this, and I want to be your girlfriend, and perhaps more later, with the whole you not just half," Mir said, quietly so that Ranma's secret wouldn't be reveled.

"Oh," Ranma said speculatively while digesting what her date had said.

"Ranma, was something weird about her getting attacked, when she seemed like a girl that would know better than to go there alone, and her parents don't seen like the type to let her go out without proper instructions." Mir said speculatively.

Ranma nodded, and replied, "Yes, but we will never know will we?"

Mir nodded, and the rest of the subway ride passed in companionable silence.

* * *

Meanwhile in Haruka's car, Haruka was grilling Hotaru, "Why did you go there? I thought you were smarter than that."

"Ummm, Setsuna-mama told me to go there, and she said I'd have an important encounter." Hotaru replied sheepishly.

"Is that so..." Haruka said with narrowed eyes.

Michiru was also radiating a sense of anger but replied, "But you have to admit, she did have an important encounter with her new friends."

Haruka nodded and commented angrily, "but I still will have _words_ with her."

* * *

Ranma and Mir had just arrived at Dr. Tofu's clinic, Ranma was considering what to do to finish the date, as he wanted to give her a good night kiss, but before he could come to a decision, Mir decided to take the initiative, and planted a quick kiss on her lips.

Ranma was stunned, and would've said something, but the door to the clinic opened, and revealed Shurelia holding a pot of hot water, which was left over from the tea that was just made for the group.

"Here Ranma, from what I heard it isn't a good idea for a girl to be alone at night here, especially since you have a maniac on your tail," Shurelia explained as she handed the kettle to Ranma.

She used it to turn back to male, and Mir, with an impish smile pulled his head down for another quick kiss before saying, "I had fun today, lets go on another date sometime." she then headed inside. Shurelia was amused at the antics of her towers biggest boogeyman, and sincerely hoped that it would prevent a second incident.

Ranma, realizing that Mir had gone before he could reply took his leave of Shurelia, and headed off into the sunset, back to the Tendo Dojo.

* * *

EN: I'm basing this off the fact that I went to the great escape a week or two before they closed for the winter and they where virtually empty.


End file.
